


Death Eater's Daughter

by happypugfics



Series: Skimmons Hogwarts AU [3]
Category: Agents of SHIELD - Fandom, Bioquake - Fandom, Skimmons - Fandom
Genre: F/F, bioquake, skimmons - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2018-09-07 22:08:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 80,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8818000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happypugfics/pseuds/happypugfics
Summary: Summer has finally come to an end for the girls and the dawn of their seventh and final year at Hogwarts begins…and is off to a rough start.  The hardships of the Tri Wizard Tournament and the added difficulty of having become a werewolf have made Sky famous in the wizarding community.  Fame spreads far and wide and there isn’t a corner of the wizarding world that doesn’t know how Daisy Skye Johnson triumphed over the TWT.  Not a single witch or wizard will not know of her accomplishments and one wizard in particular, one of the most notorious Death Eaters, is eager to see for himself—Skye’s father.





	1. Invenire

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the third installment of the Skimmons Hogwarts Universe! This is the real sequel to Slytherin to My Heart, but if you read Big Bad Wolf it certainly contained some leadups to this one. I hope you enjoy!

"Mom, this is crazy!  You can't be serious?  Hogwarts is the safest place for me, you've gotta know that!" Skye shouted back at her mother.  The night after Jemma had left to return home to prepare for their last year at school, Jiaying had dropped quite the bomb on all of her daughter's plans.  She wasn't going to be returning to Hogwarts for her seventh and final year.

_______

_"Competing in the Triwizard Tournament is no small feat, my darling girl.  To win it is an even greater accomplishment and I am so proud of you."_  
Skye blushed at her mother’s words. She remembered the howler she had sent after completing her first task, having been furious that one, she had entered the tournament, and two, that she had not told her mother.   
            Now that it was all over, despite some of the lingering consequences, Skye was relieved that Jiaying was proud.  Jemma was proud of her too.   
            " You have proven that you are a strong, capable, and formidable witch, among other things," Jiaying was no longer smiling, and instead looked grim as she stared at her daughter.  Skye was confused.  If she was all of those things then why did her mother look so worried now, unless...  
            "Cal will want to meet with you..."  
            "Well I don't want to meet with him!" Skye retorted.  What was her mother thinking? She wasn't going to go to Azkaban and take a day trip to visit her death eater father.  
            "You may not have a choice, Skye.  He has broken out-"  
            "What?! How did he do that?! We need to warn people! I need to get Jemma and-"  
            "No, He will find you, Skye.  It is not a matter of if, but when, and we must make sure that it is on our terms.  The ministry has been notified.  I fear that school will not be the safest place for you.  It is too easy of a location-"  
            "So what you're saying is I can't go back to Hogwarts?!"  
            " **Yes**."

_______

"Skye, we have gone over this.  I know that you are upset, but school will be the first place Cal goes to look for you.  We both know it," her mother said sternly, leaning over her boiling cauldron.  She had been stewing up some of Skye's werewolf potion for several days now, having taught Jemma how to do it over their long summer together.  She was bottling it up and placing them in a special carrying case.  Everything else around the house was covered or packed away.  They were leaving.

"The Headmaster won't let him in!  The school is full of powerful witches and wizards.  He wouldn't be able to get to me," Skye protested further.  She had refused to pack her things, and it was causing Jiaying to get irritated.

"Your father is more than capable, Skye.  I know that, you know that.  You would risk the safety of every student there just because you want to go to school?" Her mother questioned, finally turning from her potion and pointing the copper spoon at her daughter, "You're not going. That is final.  He is going to come for you.  All we can do is hide away until the ministry finds him."

"That could be forever!" Skye shouted, slamming her fist down onto the wooden table.  It cracked under the pressure and she quickly withdrew it when Jiaying shot a pointed glare in her direction.  The brunette still wasn't used to her newfound strength.  "Please, at least let me tell Jemma?!"

Jiaying let out a long sigh and finally abandoned the potion all together and turned to face her daughter, "Absolutely not.  We can't risk Jemma knowing where you are going to be.  I know you love her, but this is for the best.  You're famous now, Skye Johnson.  Everyone is going to know your face,and if they don't, they live an even more secluded life than us here.  By winning that tournament, you proved yourself to be a formidable witch.  Your father will want to find you and convince you to join him, and he will do anything within his power to make it happen.  Do you think, even for a second, that he would not use Jemma to his advantage if she knew where you are? He would.  In a heartbeat he would.  You will be putting her in danger if you tell her.  I know it hurts, but you need to let her go to school and stay there.  It will be safe for her, just not for you.  Now go and pack your things.  We are leaving for the safe house in an hour." Jiaying instructed, and stared down the teary eyed stare her daughter was giving her.

Skye turned tail and stormed up the stairs and Jiaying could hear the echo of the door slamming ring throughout the house.  She hated to do this to Skye, but she knew that her father wasn't something to think idly of.  He would do what needed to be done to achieve his goal, and Jiaying would have to do the same thing to protect their daughter from him, even if it meant Skye had to keep it a secret from her girlfriend.  This was going to be hard on them, and with Skye's condition, keeping her safe was going to be an even more difficult task.  Her heart hurt for her daughter and for Jemma, but it would be for the best.  With Cal escaped from Azkaban and galavanting about after their daughter, Jiaying couldn't risk it.

 

__________

 

Jemma was excited. She was more than excited, she was exhilarated. She was now boarding the train to head to her last year at Hogwarts. Though the idea of finishing school and starting her career seemed a daunting task, she was still ready for it. Jemma and Skye could get through anything if last year was any proof. Skye had almost gotten drained by dementors, they were both almost killed by a dragon, and then Skye made it through the Forbidden Forest and becoming a werewolf. Nothing could stop them.

            It took a little shoving, but Jemma managed to make it to the back of the Hogwarts Express to the little pod where she and Skye first met, where they now met up each year. This would be the last time they would do it, and it made Jemma a little nostalgic. Skye wasn’t there yet, but this wasn’t unusual. It wasn’t the first time her girlfriend had jumped on the train just before it departed. It wouldn’t have surprised her if Skye did it just to make her anxious, because she liked deadlines and being places on time. It was no matter though, she would wait for her like she did at the beginning of each year.

            Throwing her bag up onto the rack, Jemma saved one book and took her place in her usual seat against the window, opening the thick thing on her lap and letting herself get wrapped up in it. She couldn’t help but glance out the window onto platform nine and three-quarters every now and then, looking for the distinct brown waves that could only belong to her girlfriend. It was getting closer to the time her ticket said the train was to pull out, but Skye still hadn’t arrived, and it made Jemma nervous.

            If Jemma didn’t leave Skye at the end of each summer to go home and prepare her things, she would have made sure the girl got out of the house on time, but between Skye and Jiaying, it was nearly an impossible task to be at the station on time with all of Skye’s things. Strigi and Archi usually ended up bringing things throughout the first week that Skye had somehow forgotten, even though Jemma pushed a list on her and tried to get her to use it. She knew what she was getting the wolf girl for Christmas this year, she needed a remembrall.

            Eventually, Jemma got settled and lost track of time. Before she knew it, the train moved beneath her and jolted, causing panic to rise in Jemma’s chest. Skye still wasn’t on board. Even as the train began to chug and pull out of the station, Skye was still nowhere in sight. Jemma pressed her hands against the glass and she could feel tears biting at the back of her eyes, though it wasn’t like anything was truly wrong. Jiaying would find a way to get the Slytherin girl to school, Jemma would just miss her company during the long train ride and she was upset that their tradition was ruined on their last year.

            Even after the station was far behind them, Jemma kept her eyes glued to whatever was outside the window. She slumped back into her seat and wished Skye didn’t have a tendency to oversleep

“Excuse me, are you Jemma Simmons?” A shy, hesitant voice caught Jemma’s attention and she finally looked away from the window towards the entrance to what was usually her and Skye’s set of seats. A young boy, probably a first year, was standing in the doorway nervously. His dark, shaggy hair fell over his eyes and he lightly flipped it to the side so he could see. Jemma couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face. He truly was an adorable little kid and she could see him being sorted into Ravenclaw. The way he was dressed reminded Jemma of herself the first day, all cardigans and button-ups and ties, even though they didn’t have to be in their robes yet.

“Yes, that’s me. Come on in, take a seat.” Jemma waved him in, trying to make the little boy as comfortable as possible. His eyes lit up and he bounded over to the seat in front of Jemma, holding something pentagonal in his hand. She didn’t know how she’d missed it before, he was holding a chocolate frog card.

“You’re Daisy Skye Johnson’s girlfriend, aren’t you?” He asked, a huge, dopey smile on his face. Jemma was shocked, no one had recognized her by name like that, and suddenly she remembered. Skye won the Triwizard Tournament, she was sort of a celebrity now.

“Yes I am.” Jemma smiled, her grin growing even wider when the kid thrust his arm in her direction.

“Will you ask her to sign this? It would mean the world to me.” He said nervously, his hand wavering as he showed Jemma the chocolate frog card. A laugh nearly escaped the Ravenclaw’s throat as she took the card in her fingers. She’d spent so long collecting them, and now her girlfriend’s face was on one of them, smiling up and her and waving. It made Jemma miss her, even though she only left her girlfriend’s house a few days ago. They rarely spent time apart anymore, so only an insignificant amount of time was enough to make her feel their separation.

“I’m sure she would love to.” She told him. “How will I know who to return it to?” Jemma asked the first year.

“Oh, my name is Aiden. Aiden Woodill.” He stated. Jemma suspected this was going to be only the first of many students that were fans of Skye, but Jemma didn’t mind. She quite liked the look on Aiden’s face when she promised to get Skye’s autograph for him. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Skye’s face when Jemma told her about it.

___________

 

            Jemma hadn’t been particularly worried on the train, she assumed Skye was just late, but when she didn’t show up the first night, she was starting to get concerned. She had thought at first that Skye was just having trouble getting to Hogwarts, but she dropped that hypothesis when a week had gone by and she still hadn’t arrived.

            “Something’s wrong, I can feel it.” She pushed her food around on her plate instead of eating it like everyone else was doing during breakfast.

            “You’re overreacting, this is probably just Skye’s way of showing rebellion for the last time before she submits to her final year of schooling.” Fitz joked, shoving another bite of eggs into his mouth.

"Yeah, come on, lil'mama, lighten up a bit. I'm sure everything's just fine." Trip added. He'd moved over to their table during meals where seating didn't matter because he was also getting lonely without his constant partner in crime.

Jemma huffed and dropped her face down into her hands. Everyone was telling her to calm down, relax, she was overreacting, but Jemma just couldn't listen to them. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Even as the post began pouring in for the morning, Jemma felt depressed to see Strigi flying all by his lonesome, dutifully bringing her the paper, but she could tell she was sad as well. He'd spent all of their time at Hogwarts with Archi, just as she and Skye had, and Strigi was probably missing the tiny owl just as much as Jemma missed Skye.

"Thank you, Strigi, you're such a good boy." Jemma scratched the feathers under his beak, but nothing seemed to be able to cheer him up. She sighed, feeling the same way.

Just as she had started to calm down, everything was thrown back into chaos. As she unrolled the paper she nearly dropped it as she jumped up from her seat at the table.

"What is it?" Fitz asked curiously, leaning forwards to get a better look.

This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. Jemma recognized the face on the front page immediately. It was Skye's father, Cal Johnson, the Death Eater, and the article was about his mysterious escape from Azkaban. She knew something had been up, but now she wished she had been wrong about the whole thing. _Bloody hell._ While Jemma had just been sitting in class all week, her girlfriend had probably been running from her psychopathic father. What if he'd gotten to her first, and that was why Skye wasn't at school?

Jemma remembered the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, she remembered it clearly. One of Skye's worst fears was her father, and for the past week she may have been facing it alone.

"I have to go...I have to find her." Jemma mumbled, grabbing all her things despite the protests of her friends and hurrying to the dormitories to pack. There would be no classes today, at least not for her, and she wouldn't go to another one until she found Skye.

__________

The brunette was in an eternal state of pissed and had been so since she and her mother had left their house in the middle of the wilderness and arrived at one of many safe houses Jiaying had prepared in case of such an emergency.  Skye and her mother had set up the perimeter upon arriving, fortifying it with spells and charms to keep anything and everything out.  Skye didn't know where they were, her mother hadn't told her and she didn't recognize anything around her.  It felt familiar, but that was probably only because of the trees.  She did know that they were in the muggle realm now and no longer shielded by any magical barriers.  She knew her mother had chosen this place because of the woods.  Her 'time of the month' was approaching again and she would need a place to run around, even if she was in control of her own mind because of the potion.  It wouldn't do to have her lumbering about the small cottage or have her antagonizing the flock of sheep behind the house.  

Jiaying had been very thorough in their cover.  She was a farmer, and the way she lived, Skye wasn't surprised by how easily people bought it.  Muggles were gullible enough.  She also knew her mother had chosen this place because, as everyone in the magical world seemed to know, Daisy Skye Johnson was famous.  She was a magical celebrity.  Muggles didn't know her from Eve.  It was good planning, but it didn't make her feel any better.

It had been a week, and as she lay in bed at night, unable to sleep as usual, all she could think about was Jemma.  What did Jemma think?  What did Jemma feel?  The brunette knew she must be worried out of her mind.  Her heart ached to think of what Jemma thought of her now.  They had parted with so many plans and now here she was, single handedly ruining all of them.  She wanted so badly to send her a letter, to somehow tell her what was going on but she knew her mother had forbidden it.  She was keeping Archi under strict watch, making sure that her daughter wasn't sending out any secret messages.

Skye had noticed a difference in the Pygmy owl too.  The pair of them were a sad bundle together.  She knew he was probably missing Strigi.  Neither of them were used to being apart this long, and the brunette knew it was driving her crazy.  The worst part was she couldn't do anything about it.  She was being kept, like Rapunzel or Cinderella, under lock and key in the house.  Jiaying was taking no chances.  She was getting frustrated and they both knew the more frustration she built up, the more likely she was to hurt herself when she inevitably transformed.  The potion would help, but all her pent up emotions just made it worse.  

Over the summer, changing had hurt, but it had been fun, because Jemma was there.  They had taken long walks along the edge of the woods together at night.  Jemma would pet her affectionately before she raced off into the woods and come back with some wild animal she had caught.  Jemma's presence had always calmed her down, made the breaking and reshaping of her bones a little more bearable...but she would have to go through it alone this time.  She was not looking forward to it.

Finally, at some point closer to the early hours of the morning, Skye had settled down and fallen asleep.  Sleep wasn't as comfortable, having grown used to Jemma's presence in the bed over the summer.  Instead she thrashed about, turning over this way and that as she ran in her dreams.  She would wake more exhausted than she had been when she had gone to bed later in the afternoon but with the same heavy heart.

 

__________________

 

It was dark out now, and like the rest of her Ravenclaw classmates, Jemma was supposed to be asleep. A lot of things were supposed to be, though, this wasn't the first one that had gone awry that week. Cal was supposed to be in Azkaban and Skye was supposed to be here with her, but apparently that didn't matter, so neither did the fact that she was supposed to be asleep and that she was supposed to stay at Hogwarts. When Skye was out there, possibly in danger, Jemma wasn't going to sit by and wait to hear about it in the Daily Prophet.

Almost silently, Jemma slipped out of bed and slung her bag over her shoulder. She'd packed it with supplies before dinner and she'd thrown quite a bit of food in it during their meal. She didn't know how long it would take to find her girlfriend, but she wouldn't be coming back empty handed. She was wearing muggle clothes, so she wouldn't look suspicious once she made it to the outside world.

She crept down the stairs and left Ravenclaw tower, unfolding the map Trip had given to her. He, Fitz, and Jemma had argued the day before about whether or not Jemma should leave to go find Skye. Fitz was still upset with her for choosing to leave, but once Trip understood that she wouldn't be changing her mind, he revealed that he had the Marauders Map and showed her a few of the secret tunnels underneath Hogwarts that led outside. It was the only way to get past the protective fields the school had set up.

"Lumos," Jemma whispered, letting her wand lighten the darkness of the hallways once the moonlight from the windows was not enough to see by. With the map to help her, it was easy to avoid any staff walking about, making sure students were all in bed. They'd be in for a shock tomorrow when they realized one of them had disappeared entirely. Their new prefect would probably go into a panic, but that didn't matter to Jemma any longer. All that mattered was that she found Skye and made sure she was safe.

Once she found the tunnel, it was almost too easy to get out. Nothing was in her path and all she had to deal with was an occasional spider web or rat. She didn't feel any fear as she left her last year of school behind her. This is what she needed to be doing now. She had an objective, which made wandering out into the oblivion that was the rest of the world a lot less daunting. First, once she escaped, she would use different location and tracking spells to see if she could find Skye with magic.

She emerged in the cellar of Honeydukes like Trip said she would. It had been difficult for her to get out of the tunnel at first because several heavy boxes had been sitting on top the trap door, but she was eventually able to lift it. The loud crash didn't even disturb anyone, the shop was closed at night and all of Hogsmeade felt abandoned. The Inn was probably the only inhabited place at night, but it still wasn't an option for Jemma. The professors at Hogwarts wouldn't just let her leave, they'd look for her. She'd just broken about a dozen school rules, and Headmaster Coulson probably wasn't about to let her sneak away without sending someone after her. That was her first order of business as she walked down the empty street. She placed several different charms on herself that prevented her from being tracked, traced, or located by any sort of magical spell. This was one reason Jemma was worried her own tracking spell wouldn't work. Jiaying could just as easily charm Skye if they were together, or Cal could do the same thing if he had her. Jemma shuddered at the thought and hoped Skye was either by herself or with her mother, though by herself was the preferred option. Skye probably wouldn't think to charm herself completely and it would make it easier for Jemma to find her. Of course, that made it easier for Cal to find her too, so Jemma didn't really know what to think. When Jemma did find her, she'd have to tell Skye how so that they could stop Cal from doing the same thing.

Soon Jemma was met by Strigi, who had flown out the window like he was commanded as soon as Jemma escaped. She held her arm out and the large owl landed gracefully on it, making small chirping noises that told her he was excited. Jemma couldn't blame him, she was ready to go find Skye too, and Strigi wanted his tiny friend back.

"Alright, let's go find them." Jemma smiled. Then, when she was sure her owl was still clinging to her, she apparated away from Hogwarts without hesitation.

Jemma was surprised to appear suddenly in Skye's living room. She'd wanted to come here, of course, she'd just expected the place to be charmed. It was hardly recognizable at first, everything that hadn't been taken was covered in a sheet or blanket of some kind. It made Jemma sad and relieved at the same time. Skye's house was her home as well, and she hated to see it so abandoned, but this meant that Skye was with Jiaying and that they'd had plenty of time to prepare, as it would seem. At least she now knew that Skye wasn't in Cal's clutches, or at least she hadn't started out that way.

It hurt that Skye hadn't sent Jemma a letter explaining any of this or even telling her that she'd be gone, but she figured it was because either Jiaying wasn't allowing Skye to contact anyone or that Skye was trying to protect her, though that didn't work very well.

Though Jemma was eager to start searching, it would be a good idea to get some rest. If she spent the whole night trying to locate Skye, she wouldn't get very far tomorrow.

Jemma trudged up the stairs and Strigi followed her into Skye's room. She took a deep breath when she entered, the place still smelled faintly of her girlfriend. Throwing back the sheet over Skye's bed, she dropped her bag on the floor and burrowed under the blankets, clutching the extra pillow to her chest and pressing her face into it. She missed Skye's presence. She'd been sleeping with her in this bed hardly two weeks ago, but it already felt like a completely different place. She wasn't going to sleep easily, but at least she could try to sleep with the comfort of knowing Skye was safe, at least for now. Jemma would find her.

 

__________

 

After what only felt like five minutes of sleep, Jemma was rudely awoken by a loud squawking noise. Usually Strigi was polite and quiet in the mornings, so something was definitely off. She opened one eye and there he was, standing on the edge of the bed, staring at her. He squawked again when he saw that Jemma was awake and picked up an object at his feet, shoving it into Jemma's face. Even as she was sitting up and rubbing sleep from her eyes, Jemma recognized the tiny feather Strigi was holding. It belonged to Archi, her owl had probably found it in the house sometime last night.

"Oh my gosh, thank you!" She kissed the red barn owl on the top of the head, took the feather, and leapt out of bed. Jiaying had probably blocked tracking spells on herself and Skye, but she might not have thought to do it for Archi. Even if she did, Jemma now had a piece of him, which would make her own locating spell even stronger.

She didn't even bother going downstairs, she just pulled the sheet off of Skye's desk and cleared it as quickly as possible, spreading out a regular muggle map over the surface. Placing the feather in the middle, Jemma retrieved her wand and held it out, pointing it towards the little set up on the desk.

" _Invenire_!" She said firmly, watching carefully as the feather slowly stood upright and fluttered across the map, pinpointing a certain spot with its tip. As soon as it fell over, Jemma marked the spot on the map with a quill and ink that Skye had left at her desk. It was in the middle of nowhere, exactly the kind of place they would go if they were trying to hide and it was almost the full moon.

Jemma stuffed everything back into her bag except for the map, which she held in front of her and concentrated deeply on. Strigi perched on her shoulder and Jemma took one last look around her. She didn't know when she'd see Skye's room again, and for some reason, it felt like it would be a long time.

Just as quickly as she had appeared in the house, Jemma and Strigi were gone again. Jemma knew she wasn't very good at apparition, it was one of her weaknesses, but it still felt off this time. She landed in a field of grass with a thud, and her leg was stinging. When she looked down at it, the same type of injury that had marked Skye after the third task was stretched across her calf, and it was bleeding all over the leg of her pants. She groaned, even mentally yelling at herself. In her haste to get to Skye, she'd been stupid enough to try to apparate into a place protected by charms. She almost deserved the minor splinching she'd caused herself. Knowing she wasn't very good at apparating, Jemma had packed some dittany and she quickly found it in her bag and applied it to her wound. It stung, but the injury quickly sealed and Jemma was sure it would feel better within a matter of hours because of how minor it was.

_Strigi._ Jemma suddenly remembered she had the bird with her and looked around frantically, trying to find him. Had her stupid mistake splinched him, or had he been left behind? When her eyes landed on him a couple meters away, relief flooded her system. He appeared to be fine, but Jemma wouldn't know until she got a closer look, so she reached out for him, only to jump in surprise when her hand hit a barrier. This was probably a charm Jiaying had put up!

"Strigi, go find Archi and Skye!" She said excitedly. Jemma may have been splinched because of the charm on wherever Skye was staying, but her owl had managed to get through. If Skye saw Strigi, she'd know Jemma was here and she'd let her in, she just knew it. As Strigi took off towards the woods on the other side of the invisible wall, Jemma positioned herself so that she could wait comfortably in the grass. She was glad finding Skye hadn't been as difficult as she thought it would be.

 


	2. Animare

It was still the early morning and the wolf girl had only just managed to get to sleep, already having slung a black sheet over her window to keep out the light.  Skye had been getting more and more restless at night the closer it approached the full moon.  Her anxiety level was high and she didn’t even get restful sleep when she had finally succeeded in dozing off.  Her mother was keeping the place locked up tight and so none of the windows were open to let in the cool breeze.  The brunette’s room in the back of the house was burning up and she was fast asleep on top of the sheet, shifting and rolling over, eyebrows furrowed in distaste as she raced through her dreams.

Jiaying on the other hand was an early riser.  Per usual, she was up at the crack of dawn and making her rounds outside around the perimeter.  At last, she stopped at the edge of the forest, conjuring up a basket and knelt down next to her makeshift garden and began to gather either potion materials or ingredients for breakfast.  She had watched from her window the previous night, as Skye let out some of her pent up frustration and energy.  She had jogged the entire area at least five times under Jiaying’s careful supervision.  The woman knew that her daughter had so much energy now she didn’t know what to do with it or how to channel it.  She knew how Cal would try to channel it, which was why they were here in the first place.

Skye’s mother of course had brought the little pygmy owl with her to help keep watch and also to keep him out of the house and away from Skye’s reach while she was away.  Jiaying knew Skye meant well but it would be safer for everyone if no one knew where she was.  She only wished her daughter could see it her way.  The little owl was resting contentedly on the older woman’s shoulder, dozing off in the early morning sun.  It was a beautiful place, even though it wasn’t home.  Jiaying, too, was sad to have left their old home behind, but Skye’s father knew its location and it would undoubtedly be one of the first places he looked for her.  She only hoped that they could both return there soon.  She had faith in the ministry to do their job.

 Archi began to stir and rustle his small feathers about and doing so made it difficult for her to focus on which plants she needed.  She shooed the little owl away as she bent over her garden, plucking this and that and setting it neatly into her basket.  The little owl was flustered, and flew himself to the tiny leafless tree sprouting up from the ground only a few feet away.  He ruffled his feathers and was in the process of picking his wing clean when he spied movement in the forest with his wide yellow eyes.  He made a tiny screeching sound, which Jiaying chose to ignore.  

Suddenly the tiny bird took off from the branch, flapping as hard and as fast as his miniature wings would allow.  He was squawking awful, loud, excited sounds, which finally made Jiaying look up and pay attention to him.  Archimedes wasn’t particularly vocal unless he was happy and the older woman knew those sounds.

She watched from a distance as the tiny pygmy owl collided mid air with a much larger owl.  A barn owl.  Jiaying would recognize it anywhere.  It was the owl that had spent every other summer and winter breaks in her home, perched snugly next to the smaller bird.  It was Jemma’s owl.  Technically nothing should have gotten past her charm shield but apparently her daughter’s girlfriend was proving herself to be the excellent overachieving witch she knew her to be.  If the girl found them here then Skye’s safety and Jemma’s too would be compromised.  Jiaying had been hoping to stay here, at least till after this month's full moon, for Skye’s sake.  Apparently she wasn’t going to get that opportunity.

Skye suddenly felt herself being shaken awake and her eyes squinted open, vision blurry as she watched her mother make a long sweeping motion over her room with her wand.

“ _Pack_.”  All of Skye’s few belongings she had brought with her quickly began to pack themselves neatly into her duffel bag as her mother turned back to her.  “Get up, we have to go.”

Still half asleep, the brunette didn’t fully comprehend what was happening, or why her things were packing themselves.  She threw her legs over the edge of the bed and braced her head with one hand.  She was getting a terrible headache.  “Mom...what’s wrong?  What’s happening?”

“Daisy Skye Johnson, get up and do as I say.  We don’t have time for this,” Jiaying shot back and handed Skye her bag and thrust a sweater into her arms.  “Put this on and meet me down stairs.  Be quick about it, there’s no time to waste.  We need to leave,” She said again and disappeared behind the brunette’s door.

Skye sleepily, but hurriedly, pulled the sweatshirt down over her head over her sweaty sleep tank top and threw on some shoes, leaving her still in her black sophie shorts she had been sleeping in.  When she made it downstairs with her bag, her mother was also all packed and had already put sheets all over everything.  Jiaying had gotten rid of any and every trace of their presence in the house.  Skye was starting to get concerned.  Something must have gone terribly wrong for her mother to be acting this way and so, she followed her out of the house when she was beckoned, not knowing what was going on and too afraid and startled to ask.

Jiaying said the incantation to lower the magical field and then gripped Skye’s arm tightly.  The brunette hastily grabbed onto the small pygmy owl and held Archi tight to her chest and shut her eyes.  One second they were there and then the next, a loud _crack_ as the air rushed in and filled the void where their bodies had been.

__________

 

Jemma had been leaning against the wall that was created by the charm while she was sitting in the grass waiting, and that was why she knew so quickly when the protective force was taken down. The wall behind her suddenly disappeared and she fell backwards, only stopping momentarily. She scrambled to her feet, immediately searching the sky for her owl.

Strigi was coming, she could see him at the treeline and he made a beeline for his owner, squawking intensely because of his excitement at having found his friend. He'd left them back at the house for a few moments so he could come find his owner and lead her back to the house.

"Did you find them?" Jemma asked with anticipation and excitement. Her owl hadn't even landed, he just hovered in front of her for a few seconds before turning tail and shooting back into the woods. Jemma had trouble keeping up, with her leg still stinging and roots tripping her occasionally in her desperate sprint to get to her girlfriend. She pushed branches out of her way and chased after her very excited red barn owl until she finally stumbled into a clearing that was filled by an old wooden house much like Skye's real home.

"Skye!" She called out, running towards the door. She ignored her bird and didn't realize when he flew off in another direction, not looking as thrilled as before. Jemma rapped on the door with a closed fist, but there was no response. It instantly worried her, so she reached for the doorknob, only to find out with surprise that it was already open and only needed a light push to swing open. She walked into the dark house tentatively, keeping her hand ready near her wand, just in case.

The house was in the same condition as Skye's original home when Jemma had gone there last night. _I don't understand..._ The spell she had used said that Archi had been here only minutes ago, but the place seemed abandoned.  Jemma was smart, though, smart enough to figure out that the place had in fact been inhabited recently. Dust had been gathering at Skye's house already, but here, everything still looked newly placed. Was Skye...running away from her? No, that couldn't be. Maybe she had somehow known the charm was broken through and they just assumed that she was Cal and made a run for it. It killed her to think about how close she'd come to catching them. Skye had been just barely outside of her reach, but she'd slipped away just as Jemma got close.

__________

            Skye gasped for breath and stumbled away from her mother, dropping her bag on the ground and holding the small pygmy owl tight to her chest the moment she felt solid ground beneath her feet again.  It took her a minute to get her bearings but when she finally looked around she had no idea where they were.  She guess another safe house.  From the look of it, it was dark and cold and the brunette turned up her nose.  It smelled awful and looked awful.  A downgrade from their makeshift home in the woods.  She was also used to the quiet, but suddenly several different sounds filled her ears.  Talking.  There were people outside, walking by.  She heard cars too and she quickly turned to her mother, looking confused and frightened.

            “Where are we? Why did we leave so quickly?” The younger woman demanded all at once.  She saw her mother’s jaw tighten, as if she did not want to answer her daughter’s questions just yet.

            Skye shook her head, brow furrowing before she turned away and looked closer at the room they were in.  It was a small living room, wooden floors and wooden walls.  The only light in the place was coming from the covered up windows, which Skye moved to immediately.  She set Archi down gently on the windowsill before pulling back the dusty curtain.  More light flooded into the room and the brunette had to shield her eyes from it at first it had been so dark.  When finally she got a closer look her jaw dropped.  People, Muggles, were walking back and forth across the street.  Several cars drove by just as she watched, and across, there were more houses squished up together, one on top of the other.  Skye could only assume they were now in the same type of house.  It was a crowded metropolis.  Her mother had brought her to the city.

            “Are you crazy?!  This is the last place I need to be right now!” Skye whirled around to look at Jiaying, who was already waving her wand about and getting the place up and running.  The brunette couldn’t believe it.  “Mom?!”  Skye stayed at the window, gesturing towards the outside with a flabbergasted look plastered on her face.

            The older woman finally sighed again and turned around, putting her wand away and coming to the edge of the hall and standing in the doorframe.  “Someone or something broke through the charm barrier.  I couldn’t wait to see what it was.  If the safety gets breached, we leave, and we leave right then.  We can’t take any chances Skye.  Your father has a lot of friends, I highly doubt he will be working alone.  If any of them find us, find _you_ , then all of this,” Jiaying gestured around the room, “will have been for nothing.  As for the city, yes, I know.”  She sighed again, taking a hand and rubbing her temples while she thought.

            “We won’t be here long either.  We will move again before the moon changes, I promise.  Right now, this is where we are and we need to make the most of it.  You need to stay inside, is that clear?  This is a highly populated city.  I can’t risk a magical person being here and recognizing you.  I can blend in with the muggles and so can you, but you’re famous now.  We can’t take that chance.”

            “Right…” Skye released the curtain and meandered over to her bag and picked it up.  She slung it over her shoulder and walked past her mother and down the short hallway.  She had almost forgotten she had won the Triwizard Tournament.  The cup was at home on the mantle above her mother’s fireplace.  Skye didn’t want it in her room.  It had given her terrible nightmares.  She also didn’t feel famous, as she had pretty much been secluded all summer with her mother and Jemma getting used to being a werewolf.  She actually hadn’t met anyone who knew her just because of the tournament yet.  It had come out in the paper, she had had a chocolate frog card with her face on it now too.  She wondered if Jemma had managed to collect it yet.

            The brunette groaned to herself and shoved open a door on the right.  The bedroom was small, but so was her bedroom back home.  Except, this wasn’t home.  The thought made her heart sink as she slammed the door closed and began to unpack all of her things... _again._

__________

 

Jemma wasn't about to give up. She needed to find something, _anything_ that would give her a clue about where Skye had gone. She hadn't run away from Hogwarts just to go back a day later after she found out Skye was with her mother hiding out.

She rummaged through drawers, yanked sheets off furniture, and checked every cabinet. Just when she thought there was nothing left, she looked under the sink. A small crate was lying there, the only thing left in the house she hadn't searched yet. She began to drag it out into the middle of the room, but a chinking noise made her stop and think twice about it. Whatever was inside was fragile, so she lifted the heavy object as best as she could, though she could only manage to get it a few feet off the ground, and carried it out into the open. Dropping to her knees and hissing at the pain it caused her leg, Jemma pried open the top of the box. It was filled with jars of what was obviously a potion. It didn't take a genius to figure out exactly what they were as she lifted one, unplugged the stopper, and took a whiff. She didn't have Skye's superior senses, but her own human ones were good enough to recognize that this was the potion her girlfriend was supposed to take before the full moon.

_Oh, god, they forgot them._ Jemma's eyes widened as she realized what was going to happen. If Skye and Jiaying had left them behind in their rush to leave, Skye would be forced to undergo her full moon transformation without her human mind. She would go on a rampage, and if she couldn't find anything to kill, she'd hurt herself.

It wasn't likely that they would be coming back for it, if Jiaying thought Cal might be here, she wouldn't take the risk. Suddenly, a realization hit Jemma that made her seriously wonder if she was stupid. It was very likely that Cal could show up here, and it had been even more likely that he would have shown up at Skye's home. Why she hadn't considered the possibility that they could run into each other, she didn't know. They were both looking for her, and Jemma only hoped Cal didn't know who she was. If that was the case, she was leading him straight to her. Maybe she should have thought this through a little further. She didn't make rash decisions often, but she had this time, and it was possible that it would come back to haunt her.

She couldn't stay here now, that wasn't an option. She wasn't quite sure what to do now, especially with the potions. No one would be coming back for them, so she didn't need to leave them. If Cal did show up, Jemma wasn't so sure she wanted him to have something Skye needs, so it would probably be better to destroy them. Another reason it would be bad to just leave them there is the possibility that Skye's father didn't know about her new condition. The less he had on her the better.

Jemma slipped one of the bottles into her bag for future emergency use, and the rest she took out back and dumped into the grass. Her next order of business was to try tracing Archi again with the feather she kept, and then she'd get out of the house in case the DeathEater came looking.

This time, Jemma spread out the map on the living room floor, not bothering to find a table this time. She placed the feather in the middle and quickly performed the tracking spell. Hopefully she could catch them before Jiaying figured out how she'd done it and charmed Archi.

Jemma repeated the spell three times to make sure it was correct, and the feather just kept pointing to the same place, no matter how wrong it seemed to be. Skye, or at least Archi, was in the middle of London, in one of the most crowded parts of it. It would be a horrible place for Skye to change into a werewolf without the potion. Not only would she kill countless people, but she would expose magic and endanger wizardkind as well.

Still, Jemma marked the place in the city the feather had pinpointed with the number two and folded up the map, tucking it into her bag. Now she had to get away, but apparating wasn't really an option. She was already splinched and it wasn't healing as quickly as she'd hoped it would, traveling by apparition now would be risking making it more severe. She would have to walk on foot, anywhere, just away, so she wasn't still at the house if Cal found it. Jemma whistled, and Strigi obediently perched on her shoulder as they began to walk.  

__________

"Alright, I'm going to go to the store to get some groceries and things.  I should only be gone a few hours.  Get settled in.  I'll make us something nice when I get back to make up for all this moving," Jiaying said from the door, holding it open to go out while she looked back at her daughter, who was sunken into the couch flipping through the TV with a disgruntled look.  The older woman just shook her head and left, shutting the door behind her.  Everyone was too busy going wherever they were going to notice her wave her hand over the door.  She mumbled a few words and  laid a protective spell over the building.

"Because a special dinner will totally make up for everything..."

The second she was gone Skye shot up from the couch and raced to the window, pulling the curtain back and watched as her mother turned the corner.  She shot off like a jet out of the living room and down the hallway to her room.  She scrambled around, looking for a scrap of paper, parchment, anything.  She finally found one in a box on a bookshelf.  The brunette found a pen easily enough then and began to write a letter to Jemma.

She was going to explain that this whole thing was a mess, and apologize for not being at school with her.  She of course needed to tell Jemma and make sure that she knew she was safe.  She explained about her father but told her not to worry.  Skye knew she would worry anyway.  She apologized for not being able to tell her where she was and she wrote a lot of other things too.  She couldn't stand to be away from her and not tell her what was going on.  Skye just knew that Jemma was feeling the same way.  She was probably mad at her for not having shown up or told her what was happening.

The brunette sighed once she had finished the letter and she folded it up.  She wouldn't be able to send it with Archi.  The owl was hers, but it listened to her mother more than her.  No, she would need to find another way.  It was like trying to send her girlfriend secret notes, and suddenly, Skye smiled.  It was /exactly/ like sending her secret notes.  The wolf girl didn't think a mouse would work.  That wouldn't make it to Jemma fast enough, but a bird would.  Skye quickly reached into her duffel bag, rummaging around and dumping some things out until she pulled out her wand.  It was a new one.  She had lost her original wand in the Forbidden Forest when the werewolf had attacked her during the first task.  When they had finally found it, it had been snapped in several places and couldn't be fixed.  She had left the pieces in a box back in her old room.  This new one worked just as well as the first, but without any of the nostalgia attached to it.

Skye held the wand over the letter and waved it once and tapped the page, mumbling the charm excitedly, “ _Animare_.”  The parchment shifted and folded and stretched and sprouted feathers.  Finally, a white raven stood on Skye's desk instead of her letter.  The brunette knew that Jemma would know what it was as soon as she saw it.  She had sent her a white mouse enough in the past for her girlfriend to recognize it was from her.  The girl was grinning from ear to ear and she held a finger out for the bird and it perched itself there contentedly.  Skye raced from the room and into the kitchen at the back of the house.  She set the bird on the counter and flung open the window.  Turning to the bird, the brunette smiled and held her finger out again and the white raven perched on it once more.

"Alright, I need you to go and find Jemma. Can you do that? Of course you can," Skye grinned and held the bird towards the window and watched as it took off.  It only got a few feet into the air before it crashed into an invisible field and turned back into paper.  Skye groaned as she watched and the parchment burst into flames and floated down into the small back yard as ashes.  "Of course she did...damnit!" Skye slammed her fist down onto the counter in frustration, causing a crack to appear.  Upon seeing it, she rolled her eyes and slumped against the kitchen counter.  Her mother hadn't forgotten any charms, that was for sure.  Nothing was going to get out that was meant for Jemma.  She just needed to accept it.

It took the girl a few minutes to get out of her slump before she started to feel antsy.  As it grew closer to the full moon she got more and more restless and had more and more pent up energy she needed to exert.  Skye made her way back into the living room and pulled off her sweatshirt, throwing it onto the couch.  She grabbed up the TV remote and switched it on, flipping through the channels for something to take her mind off of everything.  She finally settled on some sort of work out show.  It seemed easy in comparison for what she had to do for quidditch, but after half an hour had passed Skye was on the floor doing her second series of crunches, following along with the person on the screen.  It was reliving some of her energy but it was boring and repetitive.  What she wanted to do was run, but this house didn't exactly have a treadmill.

The wolf girl's eyes slowly glanced over at the front door.  If her mother would be back for a few hours, all Skye needed to do was to make sure that she was back before Jiaying.  She could do that.  Just a short run, to relieve some stress and all her energy.  Skye sprang up and turned the TV off.  The brunette rushed into her room and fell on the dusty old bed.  She pulled her sneakers on and threw on a fresh t shirt.  

As Skye made her way out of the front door, she put her hair up into a ponytail and took a look around her new surroundings.  People were still on the streets, but not as many as there had been when she had first looked out. The traffic along the road seemed to have thinned out.  The brunette gently shut the door behind her, careful to take note of the house number and what it looked like from the outside.  It was overcast and looked likely to rain, but Skye didn't mind the rain.  When you had played quidditch in thunderstorms, running in a little drizzle was nothing.  She took one last look at the house, and then set off down the road at a slow jog at first.  By the time she made it down the block she was sprinting.  Much better than being cooped up inside.

__________

 

Jemma only stopped walking once she knew she couldn't walk any further. Her leg was aching and stinging, but she'd needed to get as far away from the house as possible. She wanted to find Skye, not her father. This whole thing was starting to feel a little ridiculous, but  Jemma still wasn't going to give up on it. She was almost positive Skye was with her mother and not her father, but she wouldn't feel comfortable until she saw Skye safe with her own eyes.   
           

Finally deciding she was done walking for the day, Jemma found the nearest tree and plopped down, leaning her back against the thick trunk and letting out a few deep, controlled breaths. She was tired and upset and all she wanted was to snuggle up next to her girlfriend. Clearly that wasn't going to be happening though, she was on her own except for Strigi. The owl, which had been sleeping on Jemma's shoulder during the day as she walked, now slowly opened his eyes and began to stretch out his wings. The nocturnal creature was ready to get out and hunt for the night, and Jemma wasn't going to stop him. They would have another long day tomorrow, Jemma needed to get some rest and Strigi needed to find some food to keep his energy. It reminded Jemma to eat as well, but she wasn't very hungry and only managed to eat an apple before her stomach felt full.   
           

As the sun dipped below the tree line, the temperature of the air dropped and it made Jemma wish she'd brought a jacket. She wasn't worried about spending the night in the woods, it was in the muggle realm and there wouldn't be anything she couldn't handle. Most non-magical animals kept to themselves and didn't bother people anyway.   
           

Jemma looked up and observed the night sky. While the stars were beautiful from here, her main focus was the moon. It was a waxing gibbous tonight, meaning it was more than halfway full. The full moon was upon them, and it wouldn't be long before the night Skye would transform.   
           

It seemed so odd that Jiaying would keep Skye in the city so close to the full moon. They had to leave eventually, or people would get hurt. Suddenly, a realization hit her and she snatched her map, unfolding it and smoothing it out across her thigh. They were stuck in the city, which meant they would have to leave for the full moon. They would need to go somewhere secluded, unpopulated, and large enough for Skye to run around... _there_. Jemma's finger landed on a green splotch on the map. It was the closest place like this to London, and probably where Skye would go for the one night of the full moon if she was currently living in the city. If her leg was better by tomorrow, that was where she'd be going.  
           

Full of hope about being able to find Skye again, Jemma let herself drift off after her exhausting day. She really hoped she found Skye there, if not she'd have to hunt her down in crowded London, where there was a chance wizards would recognize her face. There was undoubtedly a report about her disappearance from Hogwarts and most of the wizarding world in the United Kingdom would know she was the girl who had gone missing from one of the safest places on the planet just after the escape of her girlfriend's crazy father from Azkaban. She'd be returned to school in a second if anyone found her, so she'd have to be careful. She wouldn't be able to run away from Hogwarts twice, so this was her only chance.


	3. Tramortire

Skye had underestimated her willingness to run when she had left the safe charmed townhouse.  She had also overestimated her ability to focus and remember which house was hers.  It was well into the afternoon when the brunette, tired and dripping with sweat from her extremely long run, had finally jogged up to the gate in front of the house.  She had leaned against it, almost heaving, and looking rather defiantly at the door.  She had been gone for more than a couple hours and she knew it.  She was surprised her mother hadn’t sent something after her or come after herself.  She had to be home and Skye was beginning to dread walking through the front door.  She had been right to do so.

It had been three days since her stern talking to and Skye could still hear Jiaying’s voice ringing in her ears.  Her mother had soundproofed the house with a charm first, that’s how she knew she was going to get it, and get it good.  From the time she had walked into the house till the time she had shut her door to go to bed, and even a little after through the door, her mother had berated her and lectured her on the dangers and all the possibilities that could have happened.  Truthfully Skye hadn’t meant to stay out that late.  Technically she hadn’t meant to get caught, but still.  Her mother couldn’t expect her to stay in the house 24/7 and not come out ever.  Except she did, and that’s where Skye had been for the past three days.  Stuck in the house.  All she had to do was sit in front of the TV and watch cartoons or do the muggles pathetic excuse for a workout, or sit in her room and go over the book of lunar charts Jemma had given her over the summer.  It had been the only book she brought with her, since she still wasn’t good at memorizing the stages, even if she had been studying it for two or three months now.

Either way, she knew today was the day.  Jiaying had been getting things ready all afternoon.  Before dark they were going to apparate to a large outcrop of woods Jiaying had circled on her map of the muggle world.  She had traveled there the day before to check things out, leaving Skye alone in the house to grow bored and frustrated.  The place, to her knowledge, had been clear.  Skye would be able to run around without disturbing anyone, only some smaller wild animals.  Neither of them had thought to check for the wolfsbane potion.  She already had her bag packed, so that when the apparated to the forest, Skye could hide her bag somewhere before she changed and pick up her spare clothes after.  If she changed in them there was no fixing them.  Her champion’s robes had been shredded to pieces the first night.  She had learned her lesson after that, although it was a little embarrassing to strip down in the middle of the woods beforehand.

The evening had been going well.  The brunette had been trying to mentally prepare herself for her first change without Jemma.  She was not looking forward to it.  Even with the potion she knew it was going to hurt.  Somehow it just managed to hurt less if she knew her girlfriend was going to be there to pat her on the head and scratch behind her ears when it was over.  Skye wouldn’t admit it to her face, but she did very much enjoy being an overlarge lap dog.  Not to mention she also missed having another, more pleasurable outlet for all of her energy from the start of the waxing moon to the end of the waning moon.  Skye had been close to unquenchable before but the last few times over the summer Jemma had deemed it ‘a bit excessive’.  The brunette couldn’t help it.  If it worked, it worked.

She had even been dozing off.  Her sleep schedule had gotten more and more off kilter the closer she got to the full moon.  She was in for a long night, and hadn’t slept much the day before, and was fairly tired already.  The boredom didn’t help either.  Her head was all the way back against the chair, mouth hanging slightly open and she had just drifted off when Jiaying came rushing through the door.

“Skye, get up!”

The brunette jerked her head up and snapped her mouth shut, having been startled and she turned quickly to look at the cause of the commotion.  “Mom, what is-”

“Someone is trying to break the charms, and they’re doing a _good_ job.  You need to get ready.  You might have to head to the forest without me,” Jiaying warned before she stuck her head back into the hallway.  Whoever it was had already broken through the first set of charms around the perimeter of the home, and was now working his way into trying to break the one on the front of the house.  The door was holding fast, but Skye’s mother wasn’t sure for how much longer.

“What?  Is it dad?  How did he find us?!  I’m not going to just leave you!”  Skye was already reaching for her wand but Jiaying stopped her with a pointed stare.

“Yes, you are.  I can handle this on my own.  I don’t know how they found us.  Perhaps whoever it is recognized either of us when we went out a few days ago.  It’s not your fault, Skye.  I knew there was a chance of this either way when I brought you here.  This is why we have several safe houses.” Her mother reminded and took up a defensive position when the front door began to shake.

 “Mom-”

“Do you remember where the next house is?” Jiaying asked sharply, cutting her daughter off.

“Y-yes, but-”

“Then if I don’t meet you in the forest, I want you to go there and wait for me,” Jiaying instructed and turned her attention from the door long enough to make sure that Skye agreed.  When she received a nod, she smiled, content with the response.  “That’s my girl.  Now I need you to go!  Before they get in!”

Just as her mother finished, the front door burst open and a masked, black cloaked figure stepped into the house, slinging spells quickly, which Jiaying expertly deflected.  Skye’s first instinct was to grab her wand, which she did, and she raced to her bedroom door and poked her head out.  A green spell whizzed by her head and she quickly snapped back into her room and shut the door.

Her heart was racing.  She could hear the spells exploding in the other room as both her and the hooded figure shot them at one another.  The brunette had to convince herself that her mother was capable and highly skilled and would be able to take care of herself.  This whole thing would have been for nothing if whoever was in the other room got their hands on her and delivered her to her father.  Skye shoved her wand into her pocket and threw her duffel bag over her shoulder.  As she did, she heard a loud thud in the other room and froze.  Her eyes transfixed on her door.  The knob wiggled and then slowly began to turn.  Skye shut her eyes tightly and there was a loud _crack_ in the room and she vanished.

When Skye opened her eyes again she found herself planted firmly on the ground, in the dim light under a canopy of trees.  The sounds of the city and the fight were long gone and the sky was starting to darken.  She could already feel the pull of the moon and it made her entire body sore already.  She was worried for her mother, but if she didn’t get moving deeper into the woods and prepare herself then she was going to have more worries on top of the ones she already had.

__________

 

Jemma was worried. Terrified, actually. She'd been waiting in the woods she suspected Skye would appear in for a few days now, surviving off of the food she'd taken from the Great Hall before she left. She was really hoping Skye would have showed up by now. There probably wasn't enough time for Jiaying to make any more of the wolfsbane potion if they had left it behind, and if Jemma didn't find Skye soon, her girlfriend would beast out without her human mind. It was getting dark, and it was the night of the full moon. Maybe she'd guessed incorrectly, maybe Skye had gone somewhere else. She hoped not, because Jemma had the only available wolfsbane potion that she knew of.  
            
It was dusk now, Jemma could already see the moon in the sky as it turned from a light pink to a dark grey color. She needed to find Skye, but she didn't know how and she was starting to panic. How was she supposed to find Skye when a powerful DeathEater couldn't even do it? Suddenly, her mind wandered to a dark place. What if he did find her, and that was why her location spell that was left running hadn't picked up on her yet?  
              
The sudden movement on Jemma's left cut off her horrible thoughts and she scrambled toward the map. She'd cast a tracking spell that would find her girlfriend's location as soon as she wasn't hidden by charms. What had caught her attention was the chocolate frog card of Skye that the first year had given her. She didn't plan on giving it back to him without an autograph, she was that certain she would find Skye. The little card was now upright, and it moved across the map until a corner pressed into the map. Jemma marked it with the number three and was thrilled to find that Skye was in fact in these woods with her. She was close to finding her, the only thing that stood between them were trees.

Her joy didn't last long, however, because she finally measured and Skye was several miles away. By the time she reached her, it could be too late for the wolfsbane potion to even take effect. She might just have to apparate and take the risk of being splinched again. As Jemma packed up her things, she looked to the sky and her eyes widened. It was later than she thought, it was almost black out and the moon was beaming down at her. There was no time to run, she was going to have to apparate and hope she was accurate enough to end up closer to Skye then she was now. She'd always been terrible at it and it frustrated her immensely. It was one of the only things Skye got to tease her about, and she never missed an opportunity when it was presented. Now, it was more of a danger. All the apparating had been taking its toll on her. It had cost her another slice to the arm just to get here, and now she was going to have to do it again.    

With one more deep breath, Jemma focused on the map and vanished. The air cracked as it filled the space behind her and then again when she pushed air out of the way at her new location. She let out a painful cry and had to drop to one knee. Her leg was a bloodied mess, her first wound had reopened and blood was dripping down the side of her calf. She didn't have time to bother with it though, she had to find Skye and deliver the potion before it was too late. She took in her surroundings, but it was all the same. She couldn't tell if she was any closer or farther from her girlfriend, there were only trees. Hopefully, if she was nearby, Skye would smell her and find her. It wasn't the first time she'd done it, it was a game they'd played throughout the summer. Now, the smell of her blood would only accent the urgency of the situation and the best possible outcome was that Skye would find her in time to take the potion. Jemma didn't want to think about the worst.

__________

“Shit!  Shit, shit, shit!  Where is it?!”  Skye had torn her bag apart, dumping everything out and turning it inside out, shaking it and anything else she could think of, but it just wasn’t there.  She couldn’t find a wolfsbane potion anywhere.  She knew that her mother and Jemma had made an entire batch in preparation just for this.  Had she been too preoccupied to remember to pack one?  The brunette couldn’t believe how stupid she was!  If she had forgotten anything it should have been clothes.  She could reuse dirty ones.  What she couldn’t do was risk changing against her will and losing her human mind and go on a rampage.

“ _Fuck_ , I’m screwed,” Skye threw the bag down on the ground and kicked it in her mounting frustration.  It was only growing worse by the second.  Her body already felt like it was on fire and every muscle felt tense and strained.  Her hands flew to her head and she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back till it almost hurt.   _What am I going to do?  What the hell am I going to do?!_  The brunette was pacing back and forth in circles.  Everything was too distracting to focus.  Crickets.  She could hear crickets as loud as jackhammers.  Running water, birds, animals scurrying on the forest floor, a distant _crack_.

Skye snapped to attention, holding her breath and listening intently.  She knew that sound.  Someone had apparated.  For a split second, she felt relieved.  No one knew to apparate here except for her mother, but the cry that followed made her feel a whole new cornucopia of feelings.  Thanks to her new wolf side, her senses were very acute, but she wouldn't have needed them to recognize that sound.

“Jemma…” It came out in a whisper, like a quiet prayer, and Skye took a step in that direction.  The girl had cried out.  Obviously something hadn’t gone according to plan and Skye felt herself tense even more when the smell of blood floating in on the breeze and into her nostrils.   _She’s hurt!_  The brunette had already raced several feet in Jemma’s direction before she had to stop herself.

She couldn’t run to her.  It would take too long and Skye didn’t have her potion.  She was a danger to Jemma, especially now that she could smell the blood in the air.  The brunette was horrified to notice it was making her nose tingle.  The hair on her arms and the back of her neck stood up.  She _wanted_ it.  She didn’t realize what was happening until she swallowed the excess saliva in her mouth.

“Damnit!”  Skye shook her head to regain some of her senses and took several steps back.  She needed to get away from Jemma.  If she stayed this close where she could smell her, she would for sure be on her in seconds and Skye did not want a repeat of her third Triwizard task.   _I’m sorry Jems..._ She took one last longing look in her direction before sprinting back to her bag.  She shoved everything back inside quickly and zipped it up and took off at a sprint in the opposite direction from Jemma.

Skye knew she didn’t have long.  She could already feel the tightening in her gut and her muscles were straining from the running, but she forced herself to keep going.  She couldn’t even notice if she could smell the blood anymore as she got further and further away.  Her lungs burned and her throat was dry, but she didn’t stop.  What did make her stop was when she hit a small break in the trees and the moonlight touched its first rays to her skin.

She had still been running when her back left leg decided to snap.  The girl shrieked and slammed into the dirt, dropping her bag and everything else.  Skye could feel her spine starting to pop and she dug her nails into the dirt, biting her lip to try and keep herself from making anymore noise.  She didn’t know how Jemma standed to watch every time.  It didn’t, and by the time she tasted blood she was already screaming again.  The brunette somehow managed to kick her shoes off.  Her socks were already ripping as her feet cracked and stretched out.  She was ripping holes in her shirt trying to pull it off before she finally flung it away and doubled back over.

It was not a short process and it was not a pleasant one.  Yellow eyes took over as her cries of agony were slowly replaced with one, long, crisp howl into the night air.

__________

The moon had risen and it was full now, but Jemma wasn't about to give up. Grabbing the nearest tree, she dragged herself to her feet and started stumbling through the woods. She'd checked the map again with the spell and Skye was definitely closer now, though she was moving away quickly. Jemma grunted and stuffed the map back into her bag, half limping and hopping on one leg in the direction she believed would bring her to Skye. If only she'd come to her, she had the potion with her and everything would've been alright.  
             
Jemma had been moving at a decent enough pace for someone who was nearly crippled, but she froze when she first heard it. The sound made goosebumps rise on her arms and a flock of birds suddenly took flight, abandoning the trees and heading elsewhere. If Jemma was as smart as everyone seemed to think she was, she would have done the same. But no, Jemma continued to push onward. It was Skye's screaming that she heard, she'd recognize it anywhere. She'd been there each of the times Skye had gone through her transformation since she'd acquired her new "condition", and she hated to think about her going through the painful process on her own.  
              
It no longer mattered that Skye wouldn't have her human mind, Jemma's only objective was to get to her. If she didn't she could lose her to the wind just like last time, and she wasn't sure she was lucky enough to be able to find her a third time. She clutched her wand tightly in her fist, recalling to mind the spell Headmaster Coulson had used to neutralize her the first night Skye transformed when she came out of the Forbidden Forest as a newly bitten werewolf.   
             
A howl finally pierced the otherwise silent night after the screaming ended and Jemma knew that the werewolf version of Skye was out there somewhere. She had to stay alert now, she was bleeding and wounded, the perfect meal for any predator, especially one of the werewolf nature. She distinctly remembered what happened last time Skye didn't have her potion, the wolf had almost slaughtered her, but Jemma didn't let it scare her this time, not when so much was on the line.  
              
It took more than a few minutes of blindly stumbling through the dark, wincing each time her injured leg touched the ground, before she finally found who she was looking for. She heard more than saw her at first, she instantly picked up on the whining, moaning sounds escaping the wolf's throat. It was different from the aggressive growling Jemma was used to that meant Skye was after prey. Skye sounded sad, frustrated even, and Jemma quickly figured out what was going on. When she approached, she cautiously poked her head around a tree to get a good idea about what Skye was doing.   
              
Having not found anything to kill, Skye was letting out her violent aggression on herself in a very frustrated manner that broke Jemma's heart. Skye was clawing at her own back and face, even slamming into a tree trunk to cause more damage. Jemma gasped and the sight of the blood all over the wolf's fur made her heart ache. She couldn't let it go on.  
              
"Skye!" She called out, stepping fully away from the tree so that she was completely exposed. She didn't even care that the werewolf's attention snapped onto her in an instant, as long as her girlfriend stopped hurting herself. She stared into the deep yellow masses of her eyes and held her wand out, ready.  
              
"I know you're going to remember this when you wake up and I know you're probably about to attack me any second, so I'll make it brief." Jemma sucked in a deep breath and ignored both the pain in her leg and the way the werewolf's eyes flicked down to it when she obviously smelled the blood. "I've been looking for you since the safe house in the woods, I was the one who got through the charm and I've been trying to follow you ever since..." Jemma smiled nervously and wrapped up when she saw the hungry look Skye was giving her. "I'm glad to see you're not in your father's clutches. Now I just have to stay out of yours." Jemma laughed bitterly and held out her wand. "Sorry about this, it may give you a bit of a headache in the morning."  
              
" _Tramortire_!" Jemma yelled, pointing her wand at Skye. She'd expected her to collapse and fall unconscious like she had before, but she'd forgotten to weigh in the fact that Skye had gotten much, _much_ stronger once her body had gotten a little more used to her "powers". Her spell only seemed to piss off the beast, which definitely was not good for her.

The lanky beast sneezed down into the dirt, shaking off the effects of Jemma’s spell as well as splattering her still wet blood all over the ground.  It growled loudly before turning its full body to face the girl, moving to stand up on her hind legs.  The werewolf opened her mouth and like that night at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, let out a dreadful ear shattering roar before moving to charge, fangs first.  The beast, however, did not collide with Jemma like it had intended, but instead crashed into a darkly colored wolf which had leapt out from behind the Ravenclaw girl at the last possible second.  

The two animals tumbled past Jemma into the woods and in the darkness, one of them yelped loudly.  Suddenly, the regular wolf went flying back into the clearing and crashed into the ground.  It had barely even gotten up before the much larger werewolf was barreling towards it again.  The wolf reacted much quicker this time, and managed to leap out of the way and wrapped its jaws around there werewolf’s back leg.  The female werewolf let out a shrill cry before whirling around and slashing the other wolf across the face so hard it sent it flying back and tumbling into the dirt.  When the wolf stood up it had five long marks down the side of its face where there werewolf had struck it.

Jemma was stunned. She hadn't expected her spell to backfire like that and she definitely hadn't expected to be saved by a random wolf. It didn't take long for her to realize, however, that this wasn't just some random wolf. A regular wolf would never just attack a werewolf like that, werewolves automatically had a higher position in the hierarchy, she'd read that. Something was different in this wolf, something about the way it stared at Jemma during a break in the fighting, just long enough for her to be sure it was unusual.

This time, unlike the night of the third task, Jemma was smart enough to run. Skye could clearly handle herself against the wolf, so there was no danger in leaving her behind with it.

"Meet me at the first safe house!" Jemma shouted over her shoulder. She knew Skye would get the message when she woke up and remembered everything, but for now she had to get as far away as possible. It wouldn't take long for Skye to defeat the wolf, she was lucky to have a distraction in the first place. Jemma knew she was going to have to apparate yet again, the werewolf would be able to follow her blood trail as soon as she was done with the black wolf and there was only one way out. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes tightly as she focused on the first safehouse. Pain ripped through her leg, but she collapsed onto the wooden floor of the safe house's living room without having made her condition too much worse. She really need to stop, she needed Skye to meet her here like she'd asked and take her along. Now that she'd found her, she didn't want to go back to Hogwarts, not until Cal was locked away again.

__________

It didn’t take long at all for the wolf to figure out that it wasn’t even nearly a match for the werewolf.  The she-wolf was tossing it around like a ragdoll.  After being thrown again, the wolf sprang away and made a mad dash for the forest.  A roar echoed through the woods and the werewolf sprang forward and gave chase.  The beast was quickly gaining on the much smaller wolf and when she was almost upon him, a cloud of black smoke took its place and flew off into the night and the darkness of the forest.

The wolf chased through the forest after the smoke long after it had disappeared.  It searched frantically then, nose to the ground, for the scent of blood.  For a long while it followed Jemma’s trail up to the point where she had apparated.  Finding nothing else to take its frustration out on the beast turned on itself, as werewolves were prone to do with no outlet for their attentions.  What had been growls and snarls now returned to whimpers and pitiful howls and the echoed through the wood.

 


	4. Stupefy

Jemma gasped and tried to control her breathing. Apparating again had caused her leg to start bleeding like it was a fresh wound all over again, and she knew she was losing too much blood when the room started to tilt. She leaned back against the nearest wall and very carefully pulled up her saturated pant leg to reveal the injury. It was deep now, the result of apparating too many times when she hardly knew how. She hadn't even passed the test yet, she'd planned on trying again this year. 

The thick, red liquid was running like a small stream, over the edge of her shoe and down onto the wooden floor, forming a small puddle. She needed to take care of it, and quickly. The dittany in her bag was only a small vial, and she'd already used some of it. She needed to use it sparingly if she didn't know how much she was going to be suddenly changing locations. She only applied a few drops, just enough to stop the bleeding and seal it to the point where it looked like a long cut running up her calf instead of a missing chunk of skin down to her muscle. 

Now that some of the pain was relieved, Jemma tilted her head back against the wall and took a moment to just breathe. Skye would meet her here, she knew she would, and then they could get out of here and back into hiding. She was uncomfortable being here at the safe house, but it was the first place she thought of that both she and Skye knew the location of.

It was silent in the house, and that's why it was so obvious when a crack echoed through the kitchen in the room behind her. Jemma was excited, Skye was probably here for her, but when she looked out the living room window, she knew it wasn't her. It was still dark out, Skye would still be a werewolf. She wasn't alone in this house and she knew her company wasn't her girlfriend. It could have been Jiaying, but Jemma wasn't going to risk it. She grabbed her bag and she was glad she didn't have to worry about Strigi. She'd had him stay in the woods outside of London to wait for her, she just couldn't deal with bringing him everywhere when it was easier to let him enjoy some free range hunting and room to fly.

Getting out of the house was easier said than done, because as soon as she tried to get up, she had to bite her tongue to hold back a cry of pain. She had gotten to her feet and was nearly to the door when a voice startled her and sent a shiver down her spine. She recognized it from the few words she'd heard out of the boggart's mouth during Skye's first task.

"Where do you think you're going, Miss Jemma Simmons? It's rude to leave your company unentertained." A small laugh accompanied the words, like Cal was amused by this whole situation.

When Jemma didn't move or respond, Cal took a step closer and motioned down to her injured leg with his hand.

"Come closer, I can fix that right up for you if you like." He smiled. It was disturbing how nice Skye's father appeared on the outside when she knew how scheming, maniacal, and evil he truly was. 

"What's your plan?" Jemma demanded. Thankfully her words sounded braver than she was feeling.

"My plan? I don't have a plan, I just want to meet my daughter." He grinned. Jemma looked at him skeptically and Cal sighed. "Alright, you've got me. I do have a plan. My daughter, whom you seem to know very well," the glint in Cal's eye let Jemma know that he knew exactly who she was and how important she was to Skye, and it made her shudder. "She seems to be hiding from me. She won't meet me, but I'm sure she'll meet you. I just want to talk to her. If you come along nicely, nothing will happen to either of you. You have my word." Cal smirked, and Jemma knew it was time to run. He wanted to use her to get to Skye, and she wasn't going to let him do it. 

When Jemma turned to run, she heard his voice again.

" _ Stupefy _ !" Jemma jumped to the side and the spell shattered a vase she'd uncovered the last time she was here. She ran out the front door and slammed it behind her, knowing the action had saved her when the door rattled as it took a spell meant for her. Jemma ran through the trees as fast as her injured leg would allow. She was running for the open grassy field she'd apparated to the first time she tracked Archi. The grass was tall enough there that she could drop to her stomach and be invisible to anyone who didn't already know she was there.

When she made it to the tall grass, she ran a little further before she dropped down and laid on her back, retrieving her wand from her bag and holding it against her chest. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she wouldn't be able to hear Cal coming over her own heartbeat in her ears. 

With only a short growl as a warning, Jemma had two seconds to understand what was going on. A black wolf pounced on her, and she had the reflexes to kick out with her legs and hit it square in the face.  _ Cal is the black wolf _ . Jemma scrambled to her feet and threw spell after spell in the direction she believed the wolf to be. He was now using the tall grass to his advantage, Jemma only knew where he was based off of the rustling. There was hardly enough moonlight to see well, which made it even harder. Cal must be an animagus, he was a wolf. 

Suddenly, Jemma felt a pair of jaws lock onto her good leg and she let out a scream. Cal was trying to cripple her, keep her from running. Jemma ignored the pain in both of her legs and continued standing. As long as Cal was biting her, she knew exactly where he was and he was close enough that Jemma couldn't miss.

" _ Tramortire _ !" She screamed, and the pressure was gone from her leg. The spell hadn't worked on a werewolf, but it sure as hell worked on a small animagus. 

Jemma was horrified. She could hardly stand, both of her legs were undoubtedly leaving blood everywhere that Skye would find later.  _ Skye _ . She couldn't meet her girlfriend now. Cal was no longer hunting down Skye, he was hunting down Jemma. Jemma understood now why Skye had been avoiding her. If Jemma got anywhere near Skye, Cal would be onto them both. At least, Jemma thought, she provided a good distraction to keep Cal away from Skye for a while. Maybe she could find a way to lead him into a trap, tip off the ministry and then let Cal find her. Whatever she did, she couldn't do it with Skye. 

Tears in her eyes, Jemma took off at a sprint and left Cal's wolfish form behind. If only she had the guts to kill him, then it would all be over. But she didn't, so she had to run. She had to get a head start before Cal woke up and came after her again and before morning when Skye would come to meet her and find her missing.

 

______________

 

Skye hissed as her eyes slowly started to open and the girl groaned as light flooded in.  She flung an arm up to shield her still sensitive eyes from the light, but as her vision cleared she saw the state of her arm.  The brunette gasped and sat up, letting out a sudden yelp when doing so sent a wave of pain ripping through her body.  Grimacing, she looked down at herself, caked in dried blood and open wounds that her own hands had done the night before.

"F-fuck...that's right," there was a throbbing pain in her head and Skye gently rubbed at her temples.  She hadn't had her wolfsbane potion.  They had somehow forgotten to pack it, or she had left it in her haste to escape and get here.  Either way, by the look of her, last night had not been pleasant.  She knew that by having harmed herself, she had not run into anyone else to hurt.  For a moment, Skye was relieved, until the memories came back.

"Goddamnit Jemma," the brunette shook her head as she remembered the foolish thing her girlfriend had done the night before.  She had deliberately put herself in danger by chasing after her and not running away.  Jemma was smart, but sometimes she did terribly stupid things.  Skye was angry at her for having exposed herself like that, even if she thought she had been prepared, which she clearly hadn't been.  If it hadn't been for the wolf that attacked her then she would have tried to kill her girlfriend for the second time, and probably succeeded.  She did find it odd that a wild animal would attack her like that.  Most of the time they left her alone.  Some wanted to play and keep her company, but none had ever attacked her till last night.

Jemma had been hurt.  Skye remembered smelling the blood on her.  She also remembered wanting it, which made her shiver and pull her bruised and scraped knees up to her chest.  She was naked in the middle of the woods, but at this point she was too tired and too sore to care.  She could barely remember what Jemma had said when she was running away.  She had been so enthralled with the fight she had almost missed it.

Her girlfriend had been the one to break the charm barrier in the woods at their last safe house.  Surely her mother would have noticed it was her and not a Death Eater.  Perhaps both of them were wound up so tightly from the events that they had misinterpreted.  Skye didn't know.  She did know that Jemma was going to be at the first safehouse.  She was probably waiting for her right this instant.  The brunette was worried about the smaller girl.  She hoped she had found a way to heal herself, but knowing Jemma, Skye knew she would be fine. 

Herself on the other hand, she needed a lot of fixing up.  She hadn't brought any silver dust with her in her bag.  She hadn't thought she would be needing it.  Skye didn't even know where she had left her bag.  She didn't recognize much around her.  Retracing her steps wouldn't be hard, just annoying, especially naked and cut all over.  She looked like a kitchen holder for knives.  

When at last she did find her bag and put on some clothes, some of her cuts had reopened with the effort and were bleeding all over.  Hopefully there was another fresh set and some bandages at the first safehouse.  She would go get Jemma, and then apparate them both to the next safe house where she hoped her mother was waiting for her.  She was just tying up her shoes when a familiar sight in the trees caught her eye.

"Strigi!  Hey there, boy," The brunette smiled and held her arm out for the owl, who excitedly flew down to meet her and perched gently on her arm.  "Jemma must have left you here.  She left in a hurry.  We are going to go and find her," Skye gently scratched the top of the barn owl's head affectionately for a moment before standing on wobbly, sore legs.  She picked up her bag and shoved her wand back into her pocket before taking the bird comfortably into her arms, holding him firmly before shutting her eyes.  She disappeared from the forest with a snap, and reemerged in the living room of the first safe house.

Skye nearly dropped the bird and her bag when the smell of blood flooded her nose again.  It was strong, which meant there was a lot, and the place looked disturbed.  "Jemma?!  Jemma are you here?!" Skye shouted and set Strigi down on a chair to wait for her.  She rushed to the front door.  It was blasted to pieces.  Shattered ceramics were everywhere and it made Skye's heart speed up.  She wasn't getting an answer.

Skye turned the corner and stopped when she heard a 'squishing' sound and looked down, horrified as she discovered why she smelled so much blood.  She had stepped into a puddle of it.  It was overwhelming the smell of the house and it made Skye wrinkle her nose.  She was getting anxious now.  "Jemma?!  Jemma, where are you?!". She saw dried shoeprints of blood on the floor leading out where the front door had been.  Her heart seized in her chest as she stared at them with wide eyes before she forced herself to follow them out.  The shoe prints left the porch and disappeared into the grass.

"Jemma?!"

Still no answer.  Skye grit her teeth together as she stared out the field towards the tall grass before the treeline.  She could smell the blood still, though it was not as strong as it had been inside.  She smelled something else too, fainter and somewhat familiar, though she couldn't place it.  She jogged quickly towards the tall grass, stopping only occasionally to sniff and make sure she was going in the right direction.  Something, or someone, had chased Jemma out.  When the brunette came across a section of grass that had been flattened, she stopped short and knelt down on the ground.  Jemma's blood dotted sections here too, but it was the other smell that had Skye worried.  Now that she was closer to the source, the scent was stronger and it triggered an image from the night before.

The black wolf.  The wolf that had caught her somehow had followed Jemma here...which meant it wasn't a wolf at all.  Animals couldn't apparate, but wizards and witches who were animagi could.  It hadn't been her mother.  Jiaying was not an animagus.  Skye didn't know who anyone who was an animagus except for her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, May.  For Jemma to have run away it had to have been someone dangerous.  Her father or one of his Death Eater friends had probably stumbled onto them.  It could have been the person who had tried to break into the safehouse before she had had to leave so quickly.  That thought made Skye worry for her mother, but she knew Jiaying was tough.  That's where she got it after all.

Skye followed the trail deep into the woods before she lost it.  It had been too long and gone cold, or Jemma had apparated again.  Skye couldn't tell which.  She had almost had her, but now she was gone and the brunette didn't know how to find her again.  She needed to find her mother and tell her what had happened.  Maybe whoever it was that had tried to take Jemma had left some clues at the house.  They would be able to contact the ministry and pick up the trail and get a lead on her father.

It was a long, solemn, and painful walk back to the house and once she got inside, Strigi greeted her happily.  She pat the bird on her head before she began rummaging through the drawers and cabinets until she found what she was looking for.  Silver dust.  Her mom had stashed some away as an emergency.  They had left so fast they forgot it.  They had forgotten a lot of things.  

The wolf girl sat down on the couch, easing herself down as gently as possible now that her wounds had reopened and were stinging.  She applied the dust everywhere she could find, and slowly, one by one, the cuts healed up, some turning into ugly scars and some into faint ones.   _ So much for my good looks... _ she thought, cracking a small smile, which faded shortly after.  She did not want to linger here long.  She was exhausted and in no shape to face whoever had chased after Jemma should they return.  For now, she hated to say it, she needed backup.  She would have to wait and find her mother and tell her everything that had happened.  The ministry would help them and she would find Jemma.  But first, she needed to get to the next safe house, where she hoped her mother was waiting for her.


	5. Avada Kedavra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many many many apologies for it being so long since the last update. My life and that of my co-author has been pretty hectic and will continue to be so. We apologize!!!

Jemma was exhausted, she didn’t know how much longer she was going to last. She didn’t have anywhere set up ahead of time like Skye and Jiaying did to help her hide. She was making all of this up as she went, and she was running out of everything. Skye’s father along with other Death Eaters had been chasing her for weeks now, and she’d had too many close encounters to be comfortable anywhere. It felt like she was sleeping with one eye open, never forgetting to pay attention to her surroundings.

            Whether she was sleeping in an alleyway, a park, or the woods somewhere, she always made sure to protect herself with as many charms as possible. The Death Eaters were strong, but Jemma was smart, which was the only reason she hadn’t been caught yet.

            Currently, she was packing up her stuff and taking down charms from a tiny, comfortable alley between two apartment buildings. It even had a small mattress someone had thrown away, it was almost too comfortable. Jemma had stayed there a day or two longer than she should have, longer than she’d stayed anywhere else. It was time to move on before any of Cal’s minions, or even worse, Cal himself, caught onto her.

            She wasn’t really sure where to go next, she was running out of places on her map that she hadn’t already gone. There were marks all over it, most of them in red. There were only a few in black, and Jemma looked at them longingly. They were the places she’d tracked Skye. She’d left Hogwarts with a mission to find her and help keep her safe, but now she was the target of the witch hunt, literally. In a way, she was still keeping Skye safe. As long as Cal was after her, he wasn’t chasing Skye. As long as she didn’t get caught, Skye would be fine. She was worried about what would happen if she did end up being found, though. She knew her girlfriend wouldn’t hesitate to walk right to her father if he had such powerful bait.

            This thought was what drove her to try to come up with a plan to end this. Somehow, she needed to get a message to the ministry without revealing herself, but that would be difficult without her owl. She’d left him behind, and she trusted Strigi to either stay put and stay safe or she trusted Skye to find him and take good care of him. If that was the case, at least her owl could be happy with his partner.

            Jemma thought about the secret messages Skye used to send her through white mice. She could use a transfiguration charm to turn a letter into an animal, but would anyone at the ministry know what it was or even pay it any mind? She had to try, but first she had to relocate. There wasn’t anywhere left for her to go, and she had run out of food two days ago. She would have bought more, but she realized that the only currency she had with her was wizarding money, which did no good in the muggle world. If only she could have stopped at her parent’s house first. She wouldn’t dare put them in danger like that now, though. Guilt was the first emotion that came to mind when she thought about her parents. She’d managed to get her hands on an old edition of the Daily Prophet, the only news her parents would receive about their daughter. They might not even get that, they were muggles, so they didn’t often get the wizard paper. Hopefully Headmaster Coulson had told them about her disappearance in a way that didn’t worry them.

            The paper was awful, though. Of course Reeta Skeeter had been assigned the story on the vanishing of the couple after Skye’s winning the Triwizard tournament. She’d taken a story about danger and criminals and lives on the line and changed it into a dramatic scandal, theorizing that they had both dropped out of school to “run away and be lesbians together”. The whole thing was disgusting, and the damned article was probably one of the ways Cal found out Skye had a girlfriend, and found out it was her. Jemma had burned the newspaper two temporary campsites ago.

            There weren’t many places for her to go, and if Cal really was tracking her, he would know this. Suddenly, Jemma got an idea. The one place no one would expect her to hide from Skye’s father was at her house. Her real house. She could go there to hide, charm the place, and even restock on supplies. From there she could try to get a letter to the ministry, or move closer.

            With just one thought, Jemma was gone like the wind. She’d gotten better at apparating, she’d had to. If she didn’t she would have lost at least a limb by now.

            When she appeared in Skye’s bedroom, Jemma suddenly felt very at home and comforted. She sighed and dropped her bag, getting to work on pulling sheets off of the furniture in Skye’s room. She’d missed the place as much as her own home, and it was good to be back.

 

______________

Skye was practically simmering.  If her temper had been any more flared she would have burnt a hole through her bed in their new safe house a week ago.  Her mother had not been at the safe house when she had arrived and the brunette had had to wait for two days for Jiaying to show up.  Her mother had told her what happened.  The Death Eater, a friend of her father's, had spotted them while they were out in London and had come for Skye.  Jiaying had been knocked out, but since she wasn't the mission, they had let her be, probably under Cal's orders.  He did still have a sweet spot for his ex wife.  By the time she had woken up, Skye had already left the woods.  She had taken a day to go to the ministry and alert them of the attack and had them returned to the third safe house, where she had found Skye.

Skye had told her mother what had happened, about Jemma, about changing, about the wolf, and about how the wolf had been a Death Eater after Jemma.  Skye had demanded to go to the ministry herself, and explain things, but Jiaying had forbidden it.  She wrote a letter instead and had kept Skye in the house for two weeks straight.  She loved Jemma too but she couldn't risk Skye going out to find her and get captured.  This had been but only one reason why Skye had been in a constant perpetual state of pissed off.

The second reason was because the brunette had confronted her mother about Jemma having been at the first safe house and how she had been the one to break the charm.  The look of guilt and her mother’s deflection of the subject let Skye know right away that Jiaying had known it had been Jemma the entire time.   _That_ was why she had been stewing in her anger for the past two weeks.  Jiaying had known it was Jemma and had intentionally moved Skye away and had kept that information from her.  So many things could have been avoided if her mother had just told her that it was her girlfriend and had let her hide with them.  The entire forest even wouldn’t have happened.  They wouldn’t have been spotted in London by one of her father’s friends and Jemma wouldn’t be out there trying to hide from them.  Of course she blamed her mother.

Jiaying accepted the blame.  She knew her daughter was not going to change her mind.  She was stubborn, like herself and her father.  However, she didn’t regret her decisions.  She had kept a close watch on Skye and aurors from the ministry checked on them regularly to keep them updated and to make sure that they remained safe.  With the moon on its way back around again for the month they had also set up a plan to keep Skye contained so that none of the Death Eaters could find her during that time.  Jiaying saw it as safety, but Skye saw it as prison.  

Skye had been definitely trying to send letters to Jemma through Strigi in her third week of captivity, but every time he came back with the same letter Skye had written.  The owl never came back with a reply, which was starting to make Skye worry.  Owls could always find their owners, but Strigi seemed to be having an unusually difficult time locating Jemma.  Her mind flew to the worst place imaginable.  Jemma had been captured, and this thought continued to solidify in the wolf girl’s mind as the barn owl continued to come back empty handed.  She had to go and find her.  She had a week till the full moon and a new supply of wolfsbane potion and silver dust.  Her wounds from the last moon had all healed and with the help of some of her mother’s special salve, her scars did not look nearly as bad as they had before, especially since she had given them to herself all over.

It was late when the auror came to the safe house and Skye was cooped up in her room as usual.  She heard the familiar crack of displaced air and her nose picked up a familiar scent from her open window.  The brunette crept to the door, careful not to let the floor boards squeak as she walked over them and stuck her ear against the door.  The Auror and her mother were talking and from what she could make out, they had found a lead.  They needed Jiaying to come and confirm it before they could proceed.  Skye felt the first shot of adrenaline through her system as her mother agreed.  Jiaying leaving meant that she would be alone in the house.  An opportunity had presented itself, one that the brunette didn’t think would occur again any time soon.  She needed to act quickly.  

Skye heard the creak of the stairs with her heightened senses and she dashed from the door and flung herself into bed, making herself look disheveled enough to be fidgeting in her sleep.  When her mother opened the door, she had been about to speak.  Skye heard her exhale a silent breath instead, meant for a warning.  Her mother probably guessed she would leave and be back by the time Skye woke up.  The brunette had been hoping she would think this way, and scrambled back out of the bed as she heard the door shut.  She didn’t dare start to pack her things until she heard one loud clash of air, meaning the auror and her mother had apparated away.  She was alone in the house.

“Alright Strigi, get ready.  We don’t have a lot of time,” The brunette told the bird, who was busy cuddling up with Archi on the windowsill.  The two had been inseparable since Skye had brought Strigi to him and it made Skye wish that Jemma was here with her too.  She felt bad for needing to separate them, but her mother would need an owl to send messages and Skye needed Strigi to help her find Jemma.  Skye packed, carefully this time, making sure to do it by hand.  She added two wolfsbane potions, one as backup in case something happened to the first, and a larger container of silver dust in case something happened to the potions and she woke up with gashes all over herself again.

The girl flung open her door, duffel bag packed and gripped her wand tightly.  Strigi and Archi both followed her down the steps and into the kitchen.  She shoved as much food as she could fit into her bag.  Once her quick preparations were complete, Skye turned to face the front door.  She would need to somehow break the charms her mother had put up all over the house to keep her in and everyone else out.  Luckily, a few counter charms came to mind, the majority of which she had found in the black book Trip had given her to study during the events of the Triwizard Tournament.  A simple _finite incantatum_ spell wouldn’t work on her mother’s charms.  She needed something more powerful, and she knew just the spell.

 _“Confringo Incantamentum_!”  Skye pointed her wand and shouted.  She watched as the spell slammed into the door and shattered the invisible barrier around the house like glass.  The shield fell, like broken pieces of a mirror and scattered on the floor.  The brunette didn’t waste any time and she quickly stepped over the glass and motioned for Strigi to follow her out of the door.  He hesitated, but when she called again he came flying and perched himself on her shoulder.  She had broken through her mother’s tight security and she felt confident she could now apparate away as well.

Skye was damned determined she was going to find Jemma.  There was just one problem.  She had no idea where to start.  It had been the better part of a month since she had went to the first safe house as Jemma had asked, but that was the last place that Skye knew she had been.  If the blood was still on the floor, perhaps she could use it to track her, since there wasn’t anything stronger for a locater spell to use than something that had actually be a _part_ of the person.  Perhaps there were more clues she had missed too.  She was going to try.

Skye made sure that Stigi was secure before she shut her eyes and thought of the safe house and the state of array it had been left in.  She felt herself stretched too thin for all but a few seconds before her feet were once again firmly planted on the ground in the center of the now very dusty and run down shack in the woods.  “Let’s get to work Strigi.”

Skye quickly found a piece of paper and an envelope and began to write.  It didn’t take her long and when she had finished, she gave the closed letter to the barn owl.

“Now go find Jemma for me!”

__________

 

While two days at Skye's home felt incredible, it was too long for somewhere she felt so exposed. It was time to move on and she knew it, no matter how much she hated to leave. It was slowly taking less and less time for the Death Eaters to find her, so she wasn't going to risk staying here any longer.  
            Just as she had hoped, Jemma was able to restock her supplies. She didn't think Skye would consider it stealing, she understood the situation. She found several canned food items and even some muggle currency, which she stashed in her bag. She'd also changed clothes, using a pair of Skye's jeans and one of the T-shirts she used to wear to bed with her. They were a little too big because Skye was taller, but it was less conspicuous than her old bloody and tattered pair. She had been sticking out like a sore thumb whenever she was around people, which hadn't made it easy to stay invisible.  
            It was time to go, and Jemma took one last look around the house before apparating away, choosing a small café her parents used to take her to as her next place of refuge. She'd get some tea, which she hadn't had any of in a while, and then she'd spend the night out back behind a dumpster she knew was kept there.  
            She felt a little sick and a weird feeling that she was floating for an instant before her feet landed firmly on the pavement of the alley between the café and the dentist's office next door. She wasn't too concerned about muggles spotting her, they rarely paid attention to their surroundings, a luxury Jemma didn't have.  
            The little café was empty except for the short, blonde barista wearing a green apron and wiping down the tables. This was because it was night, almost nine o'clock, near closing time. It was her preferred time of travel, it made her feel the safest to travel when it was harder to spot her.  
            "What can I get you?" The barista smiled, but her voice sounded tired, almost like she was disappointed that one last customer had entered.  
            "Just a black tea, thank you." Jemma only realized after she ordered that she sounded just as tired as the blonde. They could relate to each other, though Jemma was sure her problem was much more severe.  
            "It'll be done in a minute, have a seat." She sighed and headed to the back of the counter to fill Jemma's order. Jemma wasn't one to say no to sitting down and waiting, just taking the time to relax for five minutes. Slowly, she let out a deep breath and her head fell into her palms. She was tired, and ready to go to sleep. Her nights usually weren't very restful.  
            The bell above the café's entrance jingled, and Jemma's head shot up, she was instantly alert again. Her veins flooded with adrenaline when she saw the hooded figure walk through the door. She couldn't see his face, there was no way for her to tell for sure if this guy was here for her, she just _knew_.  
            "Can I get you anyth-" the poor barista never got to finish her sentence.  
            " _Avada_ _Kedavra_!" the green spell shot across the room and hit the waitress square in the chest over the bar. Jemma's heart jolted when the body hit the floor with a _thump_. She felt guilty, by coming here she'd sentenced the innocent bystander to death.  
            Jumping to her feet, Jemma reached for her wand, but she was too slow.  
            " _Expelliarmus_!" Jemma only saw the bright red light for an instant before her wand flew out of her hand and clattered across the tile, sliding under a booth on the other side of the room. Left unarmed, the only thing Jemma could do was run and dive behind the counter, the next destructive spell shattering the glass of a tip jar above her. Coins rained down on her head and Jemma felt herself beginning to shake. She was lying right next to the dead body of the muggle. Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly hanging open, her last expression of confusion still glued on her face.  
            "You have been more than a pain to me, Miss Jemma Simmons." She recognized that voice. He still somehow made it sound like Jemma was some delinquent he was reprimanding, even though he was attacking her.  
            "What do you want?!" She shouted, crawling to the other side of the counter. She could see her wand from here, it was closer, within diving reach. If she moved quickly enough, she'd be able to snatch it up and fire a disarming spell of her own at Cal.  
            "You already know what I want, and since you've decided to be difficult, you're forcing me to take it." Cal said. He sounded frustrated at having to search so long for her, but he also sounded amused that he had her trapped behind the counter like a hound trapped raccoons in trees. "I wonder what my Daisy will think of you when you can't even remember your own name!" Jemma was startled, the voice was right behind her. Cal had moved behind the bar, and now he was pointing his wand at her.  
            " _Obliviate_." Thankfully, Jemma was quick enough to avoid this spell, she lunged for her wand, aiming it behind her and shouting out her spell.  
            " _Expelliarmus_!" Somehow, Cal had expected this and he moved to the side. The red bolt simply smashed into the wall behind him, shattering a picture frame. As crazy as Cal was, he had probably imagined this moment several times before, so he knew the exact combination of spells he was going to use.  
            " _Alarte_ _ascendare_!" Cal shouted furiously. The spell hit Jemma accurately, and she let out a yell as she was thrown into the air, slamming into the ceiling before falling back down and crash landing into a table and chairs. While Jemma tried to shake off the pain and turn around to defend herself, Cal was already making his next move. " _Carpe_ _rectractum_!" An orange, seemingly harmless rope shot out of the tip of the Death Eater's wand, wrapping around Jemma's ankle and swiftly jerking her back towards him. As she slid across the floor, Jemma finally managed to get a hit in.  
            " _Conjunctivitis_!" Jemma's voice sounded scared and shaky, but her spell hit home all the same. Cal cried out in pain and covered his eyes with one hand as they started to burn under the spell's effect.  
            "You dirty little mudblood!" Cal gave up on his calm exterior and even his magical methods, Jemma was close enough to Cal for him to be able to reach her, thanks to the grab and retrieve spell, so he used it to his advantage. He removed his hand from his eyes and reached for Jemma, grabbing at her leg and jerking her even closer. He looked crazed, even more now that his eyes were bloodshot from Jemma's spell.  
            Cal's boot connected with Jemma's side and knocked the wind out of her. While Jemma struggled to breathe, Cal wrenched her wand out of her hand and easily snapped it in two, throwing it across the room.  
            "Not so tough now, are you?" Cal growled, stomping on Jemma's stomach, successfully pinning her to the ground and making Jemma cough and feel like her organs were going to be crushed. Jemma looked up at him with wide eyes, his wand was pointed at her face and she had no idea what kind of horrible thing Cal was going to do to her.  
            " _Enervo_!" Cal finished the battle with one final spell. Jemma felt her limbs fall limp and she didn't even have the ability to cry out or scream for help. Her body was completely paralyzed, but she could still see, hear, and feel everything.  Skye's father looked very satisfied with himself, and Jemma felt like she was going to be sick. He could do whatever he wanted now, she was completely helpless.  
            A scratching noise was the only other noise in the room, but the source was out of her peripheral vision and she couldn't turn her head to see.  
            "Well, look what we have here! This is your owl, I'm presuming." Cal roughly grabbed the collar of Jemma's shirt and turned her so she could look. Strigi was there, right outside the window. He had looked initially happy to finally find her, but he looked angry and had dropped the letter he was holding on the window sill to instead scratch at the glass, furious that his owner was being treated with such force.  
            Cal sauntered over to the door, snatched up the letter, and pushed the barn owl away as he reentered the café. He gave Jemma a look of amusement as he ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.  
            "Look, it's from my Daisy!" He said excitedly, a look of delight on his face that reminded Jemma of a child on Christmas. _Skye, no._.. Her girlfriend had the worst timing possible. "She wants to find you. This is perfect." Cal grinned and took the pen off the barista's body, writing a response on the envelope and tossing the letter to the ground. Jemma could see that it was Skye's handwriting, but it was too far away for her to read it. A single tear of frustration rolled down her cheek as she struggled to move, but only her eyes flicked back and forth.

"What, do you want me to read it to you?" Cal asked in a smug, taunting voice. It was meant to be degrading, and it made Jemma want to hurt him. He bent over and snatched up the letter.

" _Jemma_ ," Skye's father began, a laugh constantly on the edge of escaping his mouth. " _As you can see I found Strigi in the woods and brought him along with me.  I went to the safe house in the woods like you said but you weren’t there.  What happened? I saw all of your blood and I smelled the black wolf, who I’m guessing by now is not actually a wolf.  I’m really worried about you.  I’ve been trying to sneak out and find you but mom wouldn’t let me leave.  She says the Aurors are taking care of it.  I managed to break her charms and get away.  I’m coming to find you before they get to you, but I’ve written you a hundred times already and Strigi can’t find you.  I hope you get this one. Love, Skye._ " Cal did laugh this time, and he let the letter flutter back to the ground when he dropped it.

"Look, she even mentioned me." He smiled sadistically, putting his attention back onto the note he would be sending back to Skye.

"I need some proof that I've got you, what would Daisy know belongs to you?" Cal asked, though it was a rhetorical question, because clearly she couldn't speak. Skye's father knelt next to her and began searching through her clothes. Jemma felt violated and she wanted to vomit, but she wasn't able to do that either. Cal's hand found the chain of the time turner around her neck and he yanked at it, pulling it free and jerking Jemma's head. She'd almost forgotten she had the time traveling device, it'd been so long since she used it. Cal threw the two objects back out the door, and Strigi grabbed them, eager to get help from Skye. He took flight and was gone in an instant. Jemma prayed Skye wouldn't come for her, the whole point of this was to keep Skye away from him, not become bait and ultimately cause Skye to give in.  
            "Time to go." He smirked at Jemma. He grabbed her arm and suddenly apparated away, causing fear to jolt through Jemma's body. She was powerless now, she had no wand and she wasn't even able to move. _Please, Skye, don't come for me…_

__________

 Skye had stayed two days in the first safe house in the woods, doing her best to look around for any sort of clue where Jemma may have gone.  She had tried to follow her trail again, where she had run away from the black wolf, or the person the black wolf was, but it kept ending in the same place and no matter how many times the wolf girl searched farther, trying to pick up the trail again, she couldn’t.  Even with her heightening senses as the moon neared its peak she kept losing it.  Jemma must have apparated away.  That was the only explanation she could think of.

            She had thought to use a locator spell but she didn’t have anything of Jemma’s on her. Any blood she might have been able to use was far too old, only stains remained now. Her next step was to go where she knew some of Jemma’s things would be.  So on the fourth day Skye left the safe house and reappeared in the living room of her own home.  It had been so long since she had been here, though she was used to leaving for school, this felt different.  Her home wasn’t lively like usual.  It was dusty and abandoned and it made her increasingly sad until she caught a whiff of a familiar scent.

            “Jemma was here!” Skye followed the smell up the dusty, creaking stairs and flung her door open.  It had been so strong.  She had hoped Jemma was still here, but when the door opened fully her girlfriend was nowhere in sight.  The smell of her hit Skye like a freight train and it made her stagger and lean against the door.  Perfectly preserved, it was a cruel tease.  The brunette grit her teeth against her frustration and stepped into the room.  Jemma had been here and not long ago, but Skye had just missed her, by a day or two at most.  Again.

            Dejected, she plopped down onto the bed and put her face into her pillow.  It smelled like Jemma and it made her want to cry, but she was here on a mission and she forced the tears back.  She had to be strong.  She didn’t have much time before the full moon.  At least now that she had the potion she would be able to keep her human mind…maybe even track Jemma better with her senses at their peak.  The brunette forced herself up and over to her closet where she frantically searched for something of Jemma’s.  They had swapped so many clothes Skye wasn’t one hundred percent sure what was hers and what was her girlfriend’s anymore.  Finally Skye pulled out a sweater she was pretty sure was Jemma’s.  Her girlfriend had lent it to her and well…Skye just never gave it back, like with a lot of the t shirts she had given Jemma.

            Next she spent a good half an hour scrambling around the house for a map.  She finally found a spare among her mother’s things and she rushed it back up to her room and laid it out on her bed.  She snatched a pen and pulled out her wand and spoke the incantation.  After several minutes, nothing happened and so she tried it again.  And then a third time.  Each time the sweater did nothing and the map remained the same.  Apparently the sweater wasn’t good enough.  The girl spent the next several hours clambering all over her room for things that had belonged to Jemma.

            By the time night rolled around and the waxing moon was high in the sky, the solemn wolf girl had made absolutely no progress.  She was so frustrated she had crumpled the map up and tossed it into a corner and scattered Jemma’s things out over the floor in a fit of rage.  Her emotions were running hot, thanks to the state of the moon.  Skye knew she needed to calm down, that something would turn up, but the stress felt like it was starting to slowly kill her from the inside out. Skye didn’t even know she had fallen asleep till she woke up suddenly late in the afternoon the next day, her anxiety rose even higher when she heard a scratching at the window and saw Strigi with an envelope.

            It was the same envelope she had sent the letter in and it made Skye roll her eyes and exhale loudly.  She almost didn’t want to open the window because she was now so utterly frustrated and lost with the owl.  He shouldn’t have returned without finding Jemma…but she knew that sending him away again without rest would be cruel.  This bird was like Jemma’s child and she couldn’t do that to him.  Skye climbed over her bed and grabbed the window and slid it up.  The bird didn’t even wait and he flew right into her face.  Skye almost fell back onto the floor he had swooped in so fast.  He was nearly pecking out her eyes he was so frantic.

            “Woah, WOAH!  Strigi, stop!  Calm down, boy!  Calm down!” The brunette shouted, shielding her face from the owl's frantic onslaught.  When at last he landed on the windowsill, Skye heard a clink, and looked down at what he held in his talons.  A _time turner_.

            Skye blinked once, twice, three times, but the golden object remained and she hesitantly reached out to touch it, ignoring the letter, despite the owl’s growing protests.  She turned the magical object over in her hands, which were shaking.  “This…is Jemma’s,” She looked down at the bird, who now had the envelope in his beak.  She could see it had been opened, and for a moment her heart leapt and she snatched it from him, tightly holding the time turner to her chest in the other hand.

            She got a rude awakening when she flipped the envelope over.   _This isn’t Jemma’s wri-_ Skye stopped mid thought and dropped the letter onto the bed, clutching the time turner to her chest in spasming hands.   _This can’t…this…this is a trick…_  Skye refused to touch the piece of paper again, afraid by doing so, she would somehow shatter what little reality she was trying to grasp onto.  A shock went down the girl’s spine when at last she let her fingertips graze over the paper again.  She barely managed to subdue the shaking while she read through the scribbled note one more time.

“ _Daisy_ ,” Skye swallowed hard, not sure if she could make herself read through it again, but she had to.  She needed to be one hundred and ten percent sure, “ _That was a sweet little note you wrote your girlfriend. Despite her dirty blood, I can see why you fancy her._ ”  The brunette grit her teeth together, scowling down at the paper and grasping at it so hard she almost ripped it in half.  “ _She's smart like your mother, it's taken me nearly a month to catch her. I hope you really do care about her, because I want to meet you. If you don't come or if you bring the ministry with you, I'll spill her filthy blood and let her drown in it. You'll find the address where we're waiting for you below.  Sincerely, Your Father._ Your _fucking_ father!!”

Skye took the envelope and balled it up and hurled it.  In the same second she picked up her wand and waved it, “ _Incendio_!!” A flame spark shot from her wand and engulfed the letter in flames and it quickly burnt to ash in midair.  “I swear to _fucking_ god if he touches a hair on her head…”  Skye heard a light crack and she had to check herself.  She looked down into her hand and the hourglass containing the time turner’s sand had split open under her tight grasp.  She was never going to get used to how strong she was, but right now wasn’t the time to get used to it.  Right now was the time to utilize it.  She could imagine all too well what Cal could do to her.

            _“Yes, Daisy, I know.  That’s why I have to do this.  Then you’ll see things my way,” Cal said with a smile, turning his wrist just so before he uttered the word.  It was almost under his breath, and Skye would have missed it completely if not for the fact that Jemma had shot down to the floor, writhing in pain and screaming Skye’s name as if doing so could somehow help her._

            Thinking back on her third and final boggart of the first task made Skye shudder and her skin crawl.  For all she knew her worst fear was coming alive right now somewhere and she couldn’t stop it.  The address was seared into her brain and so were her nightmares.  There was no question.  She had to go, even with the moon so close, but she needed backup.  She needed to at least alert the ministry so that when she got there to take Jemma back, Skye could do what needed to be done and the aurors could come and wrap things up with a neat little cherry on top of this big scoop of _shit_ sundae.

            She made herself write a long letter, two actually, one to her mother and one to the ministry, informing them of the address and Cal’s plans.  It would take Strigi a while to find and deliver the mail to them, which would give Skye enough time to settle things on her own terms.  Now she needed to prepare herself as quickly as possible.  This wasn’t a family reunion.  It was war.

__________

 

Jemma's eyes shot open, but she hadn't even been aware that she'd been asleep. Cal must have cast a spell on her upon arriving at their destination after apparating away from the cafe. She didn't even know where that destination was, but they were there. Jemma shot up onto her feet, extremely relieved that she was able to move again. She spun around in a complete circle, trying to understand what was going on and where she was, but all she could see was grey. The walls were gray, the ceiling was grey, and the floor was grey. It looked like mostly concrete, but Jemma wasn't sure. The room was large, big enough for the sounds of her own footsteps to bounce off the opposite walls and be thrown back at her.

"I see you're finally awake." A cold voice made Jemma freeze and a shiver ran down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, goose bumps popped up on her arms. Every red flag possible was waving high in the wind, but Jemma had no other option than to turn and look at Cal. He had just entered through the only door in the room, and he muttered a quick spell behind him to lock it. Jemma focused on Skye's bedroom and tried to apparate, but instead a sharp pain split through her temples.

"You think I wouldn't make sure you couldn't just run again?" He laughed when he saw the pain in Jemma's eyes. She stared at him in fear. She was his at this point, there was no escape. The only way she would even be able to get out of the room was with a wand, and it would be impossible to steal Cal's, not when he kept it tightly gripped in his hand like that. The fact that he was doing so made Jemma shudder and take a few steps backwards, away from him.

"I'm so disappointed in my daughter for falling for someone like you when she has so much potential." He sighed, walking ever closer to her, now toying with the wand at his side like he was getting ready to use it for fun. Jemma had no reply, anything she said would only make her situation worse. "There's really only one solution to this. I can simply destroy you." Cal's tone quickly moved from a crazy kind of playful to serious in an instant.

"You can't kill me, you need me alive so that Skye will even listen to you. If I'm dead, she won't listen to a word you have to say." Jemma spit. She was calling him out on a bluff, knowing Cal still needed her. No matter how much she wished Skye wouldn't come, she knew in her heart that her girlfriend would come for her, and Cal would need Jemma in order to negotiate or get whatever he wanted from Skye in the first place. Surely it wasn't just to "meet her" as he'd been saying this whole time.

"That's exactly the point!" Cal hissed, shouting now. "I only need you _alive._ " Jemma was starting to get an idea about what the Death Eater was implying. She hadn't even realized she'd been moving backwards this whole time until her back bumped into the wall. She had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, and the dark wizard was slowly raising his wand and pointing it at her. Jemma's last normal thought before everything went to hell was that she hoped Skye didn't have to see any of this.

" _Crucio!_ "

 


	6. Crucio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update guys! Life has been kicking my ass so it took us a while to get around to finishing this one up but here it is for you!

" _Crucio!_ " Jemma's hands flew to her head and she grabbed her hair with her fists as the searing pain split through her entire body. She bit her tongue until she could taste blood as she slid down against the wall. She was determined not to scream, she wouldn't give Cal the pleasure. Her body was shaking, writhing in pain, but she didn't make a sound. If Jemma hadn't known it was all just a spell, she would have assumed she was either being skinned alive or burning at the stake. Every inch of her body felt like it was being dug into by something sharp, and her palms actually were. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails cut into them.

            "You go ahead and try to stay strong, mudblood," Cal laughed manically, pacing a few steps back and forth in front of her. For a moment, Jemma was sure she was going to die, but her willpower was stronger than anything else and she held fast, curled up into a ball and taking the pain. "But you'll break, I know you will. And when you do break… you won't crack, you won't crumble... you'll _shatter._ You'll shatter into a million pieces and no one will be able to put you back together again." Jemma believed his words. It felt like she was shattering, that was for sure. She made the mistake of glancing up at Skye's father, and his twisted smile would be seared into her brain for all of eternity. His wrist flicked with the wand still in it, and another intense wave of pain broke the dam she'd built and flooded her entire body. A scream ripped through her lungs and out of her throat, amplified by the empty room and echoing in her ears.

            She could feel it in her head, like the sound was actually rattling around inside her skull, liquefying her brain, and Jemma realized that if she had a wand at this moment, the first thing she would do was kill herself. She felt guilty for even thinking about leaving Skye behind like that, but then she shoved the thought out of her mind. She would _not_ think about Skye right now, she didn't want to associate her with this pain.

            Just when Jemma was sure she couldn't take it any longer, it all stopped. She looked up at Cal with a pleading look in her eyes, begging him not to do it again. Her breath came in short gasps and it felt impossible that she wasn't actually physically injured anywhere. She was shaking, she couldn't control the spasms that shuddered through her body every few seconds.

"What- what are you trying to prove?" Jemma cried, wishing she hadn't said anything the minute she saw Cal's face. He had shed his sadistically entertained expression and now chose one of anger.

            "It will all play out, you'll see. Daisy will see how weak you really are, and she'll join me." He growled like he was disgusted with Jemma, like she was some sick creature of lower value, and she was just in his way. He held up his wand again, and to Jemma the small wooden thing now seemed more like a weapon than the amazing, awe-inspiring object that convinced her magic was a real thing back when she was eleven.

            "No, please." Jemma begged, trying to mentally prepare herself for what was to come, even though it was an impossible task. Cal's smile returned, it was clear he enjoyed watching Jemma beg for mercy.

            " _Crucio!_ " It all started over again, but this time Jemma didn't hesitate to shriek. If Cal wanted her to scream, she would do it, anything to possibly shorten her torture. The feeling of agony that felt like it was shredding her body apart didn't go away, and she could feel her mind slowly slipping already. _My name is Jemma Simmons, I am eighteen years old, and my girlfriend is Skye Johnson. I'm here because I was trying to protect her._ Jemma answered the questions in her head, the ones the nurses had asked her when she'd gotten a concussion last year. She was crying now, tears were streaking down her face, but it wasn't because of the torture. She missed Skye, and she didn't know if she'd ever see her again, because Jemma was positive she was dead. No living person could feel this way for this long, it just wasn't possible. She'd entered hell, but for what, she didn't know.

 

_Skye grinned, leaning over and taking all of Jemma’s books under her arm, and then linked her free hand with one of Jemma’s._

 

Jemma let out an agonized cry as memories of Skye flooded her mind, running rampage and completely out of her control.

 

_“Look at this.  Jemma Simmons is asking me to the daaance,” Skye drew the sentence out in a sarcastic, teasing tone as she stepped closer to the shorter girl on the couch and took both of her hands in her own._

 

_“Woah, hey there book worm, slow down,” Skye reached over with a hand and shut the book, grinning at Jemma’s unamused face before she kissed it off._

            "Stop, stop, stop!" Jemma bawled, not yelling at Cal, but herself. She couldn't deal with the cruciatus curse and memories of the girl she loved, not at the same time. The ache in her heart where she missed her girlfriend rivaled the pain of the curse for a moment.

            Jemma's back arched as another throbbing assault on her mind sent her spiraling into a fit of screaming. The sound was becoming so constant she almost couldn't hear it anymore, like a drone in the background, unchanging and never ceasing. Jemma was writhing in agony on the cold, hard cement floor, and she wanted nothing more than to die. She wished Cal would just kill her and get it over with, then her soul could move on with less of a stain on it. She wanted it to end, she didn't care how.

            "We can sit here and wait for Daisy to show, I have nowhere else to be." Cal informed her, not lifting the curse. He moved to lean against a wall, keeping his wand ever pointed at Jemma. It was at that moment she knew this could go on for hours. He wasn't going to stop, not until Skye got here. Jemma's cries of anguish meant little, if not nothing, to him. He would go on torturing her, and she would go on screaming.

            _My name is Jemma Simmons..._

_Skye Johnson is my girlfriend..._

_I'm here because.... because..._

_My name is Jemma Simmons._

_Skye..._

_Skye._

____________

 

Skye didn't want to double check everything.  She couldn't help but feel like she was wasting time, but she needed to make sure she was ready.  If she wasn't ready, whatever plan she was going to come up with wouldn't work.  "Wand, wolfsbane one, wolfsbane two, silver dust..." Everything she was going to need was in her pockets and her wand grasped firmly in her hand.  She had already sent Strigi with the letters and it was nearing later into the afternoon.  She needed to go and she needed to go now.  She didn't have much time before it would be dark and the moon upon her.  Skye had thought long and hard about what she wanted to do to her father.  She had strong feelings towards him and she knew from experience she may try to kill him.  She had in the first task.

Skye had been mentally preparing herself for the past few minutes although she knew it wouldn't be enough.  She knew that whatever she was about to see she couldn't be prepared for.  The brunette stood in the center of her room, picturing the address with bated breath.  Adrenaline was pumping through her veins but she knew if she didn't concentrate and she apparated too quickly she would get splinched again like she had during the tournament.  When at last she felt herself have a good grasp, Skye shut her eyes.

When she had arrived, she almost hesitated in opening her eyes, afraid of what she was going to see.  In the fading afternoon light, the wolf girl saw she was in the parking lot of an old abandoned factory of some sort.  Several smoke stacks stood tall in the air and as Skye looked around, she spotted a few more empty buildings in the distance.  Her father had picked quite the secluded area for his place of hiding.  It didn't surprise her.

She also knew she was being watched.  She could hear the Death Eaters around her.  Only two by the sound of it.  She doubted either were her father.  She could smell them too, and they reeked, but neither smelled like the black wolf.  Skye wondered if he just wasn't here, not actually a Death Eater and only doing her father's dirty work.  She took the first few steps towards the building and they did nothing.

They were waiting for her of course.  Her father had sent her quite the open invitation.  Skye figured they were instructed to let her be and if anything went wrong she would have to remember they were here too.  She would subdue all of them if she could, but her only concern at the moment was her father seeing as how he had awarded himself a top priority spot with his kidnapping stunt.

Skye didn't waste any more time.  They weren't going to stop her, so she sprinted towards the wide factory doors.  They were unlocked and they squeaked open, leading into the darkness of the main factory floor.  The door shut behind her and her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness.  She didn't need a _lumos_ spell as much anymore.  She had become quite the sneak over the summer and through the past few months.  Better if they didn't see her coming.  She knew they were ready for her, but she was going to try.  This was going to be on her terms.

The smell of dust and gas and the stink of machinery was clouding her sense of smell.  She wouldn't be able to pick out Jemma's scent in all of this mess.  She wasn't a bloodhound, even with her senses at their peak now that it was the day of the full moon.  She didn't have time for a long game of hide and seek.  It needed to be an in and out mission.  Subdue her father, get Jemma, get the fuck out.  She couldn't afford to linger.  Still, she made her way quickly and quietly as she could through the large room, listening intently and trying to get her nose to work.

It wasn't until she reached the other side of the main factory room and passed an empty hallway, lights flickering on and off, that she caught a brief whiff of her girlfriend.  It reminded Skye of a horror movie.  It should, she had stepped right into one.  As she walked further down the hallway, wand ever at the ready, Jemma's scent grew stronger until it filled her nostrils, mixed with the smell of the black wolf.   _So you are here you mother fucker…_ Skye grit her teeth, the sound crashing around her skull in the silence.  

Towards the end of the hallway the brunette came upon a shut set of double doors, light flooding through around the seams.  She turned flush to face the doors, gripping her wand.  Everything was so quiet she could hear the heartbeats behind the doors.  There were two, both beating quickly, although one was slightly faster than the other.  She could hear their breathing, and neither seemed labored.  Hopefully that meant Jemma was safe.  Skye was actually afraid to go inside.  She had no idea what to expect and no way to prepare herself.  She could go in, guns blazing, so to speak, but she had no way of knowing if that would work.  It seemed like a poor plan, but it was the only one she had. _Let's do it._..

Skye shoved the doors open, leading with her wand hand pointed and held high, ready to defend herself or go on the offense, whichever opportunity she was presented with first.  Her eyes widened in surprise to see her father standing there in the empty room, Jemma just behind him.  Her heart raced...she looked fine, but Skye hadn't expected that.  Something was off, it had to be, but she couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, other than this entire situation.  Skye said nothing, just looking at the smug smile on her father's face when she noticed the long marks down the side of his face, then it dawned on her.  Her father was the animagus.  He had attacked her in the woods and followed Jemma to the first safe house. Her brow furrowed quickly then as she glared at her father.

"Let Jemma go.  I'm here now so you've got what you want!" Skye wished, but she doubted it would be that simple.

"Daisy," Cal sighed, as if he was disappointed in her. " _Daisy_." Cal clasped his hands behind his back and and walked a few steps to one side, revealing Jemma completely. She was standing stock still, straight up, staring blankly at a random point on the wall behind Skye.  
            "Just slow down, let's have a chat. Heart to heart.   _Father to daughter_." His voice and facial expressions were never not complacent, especially when he noticed Skye eyeing Jemma. He was pleased with his work on the muggle born, she'd been turned from a wild stallion that fought back and seemed impossible to tame to a weak, broken doll that would do whatever he said. All with two little curses.  
            "You're wasting your time with this girl and your silly little magic school. You could do so much better, you have so much potential." Cal began, explaining his hopes for his only child. He wanted her to be great, and she could if she would only ditch the girl and join him. "Join me, forget about this girl. She's weak and pathetic."

"No she isn't!  Jemma is the smartest witch at Hogwarts and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here.  I wouldn't have survived the tournament!  We're a team, and we're a damn good one.  So if you don't let her go _you're_ going to be the one who is weak and pathetic!" Skye shouted and took a step forward.  Something was wrong with Jemma.  Her father had done something and Skye just knew it wasn't going to be good.

"If you had just agreed to join me, I could have let her go and had her delivered back home." Cal informed Skye. There was no way to tell whether or not he was lying about the fact that he would have let Jemma go. They would never know. "But instead, you've decided to let her get in the way of who you're supposed to be." Cal growled, glancing at Jemma, clearly thinking she was the problem in all of this.  
            "Please, come over here, Miss Jemma Simmons." Cal said, waving the girl over. Slowly, Jemma turned to face him, and then walked over to him, standing at his side and staring off into space again. Cal watched Skye, gauging her reaction, as he showed off his power over his daughter's girlfriend. A simple Imperious Curse had left the girl completely controllable, like his own personal puppet. "If you would." He said politely, offering Jemma a spare wand. His grin was finally coming back again, he couldn't wait for what he had planned.  
            "You think you're so much better than your heritage, but I'm going to teach you a lesson in humility, my daughter. You are exactly like me." Cal sounded like he was reprimanding a young child for something small and unimportant, but it was clear that what was about to happen would be much worse than a time out.  
            "You're going to fight dear Jemma, and if you don't, I'll finish her off myself." Skye's father informed her. Without a vocal command, Jemma turned and faced Skye, staring her coldly in the eyes and gripping the wand tightly. Cal's wand was still in his hand, occasionally moving just slightly, and Jemma reacted to the movements as if it was an intricate language telling her exactly what to do.  
            "Go on, I'll even let you have the first move."

He had Jemma strung up like a puppet and it made Skye's blood boil.  She was already antsy, already rearing to go because of the moon, but she needed to stop.  She needed to calm down and think this through.  The wolf girl knew that Cal wouldn't hesitate to use any of the Unforgivables, and that's what made her worry the most.  Jemma's blank stare, her willingness to do what her father commanded.   _Imperious_...  Skye gripped her wand tighter.  Jemma was going to do whatever her father ordered her to do.  There was no way to break it other than to somehow break her father's wand.   _Or kill him_... the brunette thought.  It hadn't been the first time, but she didn't know if she was capable of those extremes.  That is what would make her like him.  She sure as hell wasn't going to raise her wand against her girlfriend.  She would do a lot of other things.  She had felt guilty for weeks after using the Somnus charm on her, even if it had been for her own good.  Talking to her father was pointless.  Skye knew from their Defense Against the Dark Arts class that people could resist the Imperious spell, which made it the most unique of the three curses.  It had to be learned, but maybe...just maybe she would be able to talk Jemma down long enough to get herself back into control.  It was worth a shot, and her only plan.  
            "Jems," Skye ignored the scoffing sound her father made, "I'm not going to fight you.  You don't have to do this.  You're not just the smartest witch, Jemma, you're the strongest too.  I couldn't make it through the tasks without you.  I couldn't have made it through the summer without you.  You take all those classes and still helped me and put up with me.  You've been away from school for months, surviving on your own.  You can beat this, Jemma." She made a ballsy move then, and the brunette dropped her wand on the ground next to her.  She had a lot of faith in her girlfriend.  She only hoped her faith paid off or else she would have to think of a new plan on the fly.

Somewhere in Jemma's mind, it registered that Skye was really here and speaking to her, but she was so far gone, lost to the pain and misery she'd been experiencing only moments before. It was like she was asleep. She was watching herself make these movements, but she didn't have any control over them and they would play out however it was going to play out, like a dream.  
            Skye was talking to her, and it made her heart ache. She couldn't tell what her girlfriend was saying, she was simply relishing the sound of her voice, not entirely sure if any of this was real.  
            "She can't break through it, that's not going to work." Cal actually laughed at Skye as if it was stupid for her to even think Jemma would be able to overpower him. His daughter wouldn't have known, but he'd already broken the girl and taken away her willpower. She simply didn't have anything left to work with.

"If you have any manner of intelligence at all, you'll pick up that wand and fight." His voice was firm this time, and Jemma could feel the strain of him wanting to do something with her but waiting another moment. When Skye did nothing and refused to fight in an act of defiance, Cal decided he was done waiting. Jemma felt an urge ripple through her body and her arm was out of her control, already flying upwards and pointing the wand at Skye. The hex she was forced to use didn't require an incantation, but just by the feel and the bright white light Jemma knew it was the stinging hex. At the very last moment, her brain registered that she didn't want to hurt Skye and her hand jerked to the side just enough for the spell to narrowly miss her girlfriend and hit the cement floor by her foot instead.  
            Jemma knew this was not enough, she couldn't fight this anymore, at least not enough to stop whatever Cal was going to make her do to Skye. Jemma pushed back against the spell that felt wrapped around her mind, and her head began pounding with the effort. Everything was hurting again with the effects of the cruciatus curse still biting at her mind. She had one last bit of energy left, and she remembered her wish when she thought the agony would go on for an eternity.  
            "Let me die," Jemma whimpered, looking Skye in the eye and begging her to do it. Not only would it save Skye by pleasing Cal, but it would put her out of her misery. She could hardly remember anything before the curse, whenever she tried to go further back she just got stuck on the fresh memories of pain and agony and sorrow. Her body and mind felt equally helpless, and at least this way Jemma knew she would go out peacefully.  
            Jemma had nothing left. She was tired and she was confused and she gave in. A cloud seemed to fog up her thoughts and push them away. They were replaced by Cal's orders, what Cal wanted her to think. Her arm shot up again, and she didn't protest. Skye had too much faith in her, as the stinging hex shot out of her borrowed wand yet again and hit Skye in the stomach. It mimicked a scorching feeling and would cause the entire area to swell and become inflamed and painful. Feeling another command, her arm lifted to prepare to fire another spell at Skye. Jemma was no longer there.

Skye cried out, dropping down to one knee and holding one arm around her stomach.  She wanted to cry but she forced her tears back.  She had felt worse than this.  Jemma had felt worse than this.  Her girlfriend’s words were stinging more than the hex, rattling about in her brain, and it made Skye’s hands shake.  She wasn’t going to be able to talk Jemma down.  Skye recognized her only two options left.

            When the sudden dizziness of the spell wore away, the brunette looked up to Jemma from across the room.  She was already raising her wand and preparing again.   Her father wasn’t going to let her get away without fighting.  Having already dropped down, she was closer to her wand and she scrambled for it, “ _Protego Horribilis_!”  A string of light came out from Skye’s wand and spread out quickly in all directions, covering her with a magical shield, which repelled the next incoming hex, sending it flying back into the wall past Cal’s head.  She could protect herself until she figured out a plan.  She would need to get rid of her father’s wand, but she couldn’t do that with Jemma shooting spells at her.  She would have to knock her out.

"That's it!" Cal shouted. As sick as it was, it sounded like he was at a sporting match and trying to encourage his kid to participate. He flicked his wand and Jemma attacked again, relentless in her- or his, really- dueling.  
            " _Discutio_!" Jemma's voice echoed across the room, but it wasn't really her speaking. Skye's protective shield suddenly shattered, clattering against the ground like glass before disappearing entirely.  
            A false look of cruelty that could never be natural on Jemma's face was plastered there as she took several steps closer to Skye. She planted her feet onto the ground and thrust her arm in Skye's direction.

" _Confringo_!" she shouted. A blast of flaming light shot in Skye's direction, aiming for her head and meant to explode once it came into contact with its target.

             The brunette shielded her face from the falling glass but pulled her arm away when she heard the next curse and saw the fiery ball hurling towards her.  Skye took a tight hold of her wand and scrambled out of the way, just in time for the blast to miss her, but the force of it pushed her back to the ground.  One of her wolfsbane vials shattered to the ground, spilling its rancid contents onto the ground.

            _And that’s why we bring extra_. Her father was getting impatient and if Skye took too long, he was going to hurt Jemma for her.  She had to do something.  Before the next wave of spells could come down on her Skye waved her own, “ _Incarcerous_!”  Ropes sprang out of Skye’s wand and wrapped themselves tightly around Jemma, keeping her legs together and arms down by her side so she couldn’t wave her wand.

            “ _Deletrius!”_ Skye was careful with her aim, even as she scrambled up off of the ground.  The spark of light struck Jemma’s wand and began to disintegrate into dust on the floor.  Now Cal wouldn’t be able to use her to cast spells, which meant Skye could focus on her father…but she still needed to break Jemma free.   _I’m so sorry Jemma, please forgive me when you wake up_ …

            Skye slung the spell and was up and running for Jemma as the bright white light reached her eyes _.  Somnus_ had put her to sleep before and it would do so again.  The wolf girl had just barely reached her when her girlfriend’s body started its limp fall to the ground.  She managed to catch her and she laid her down quickly, waving her wand over her one more time, “ _protego maxima_.”

A stronger magical shield than the one Skye had used on herself covered Jemma’s sleeping body…and then Skye whirled around, standing in front of the sleeping girl in a defensive position, wand out and pointed at her father.  She needed to finish this quickly…but if he thought _she_ was a talented wizard, then she knew he had more tricks up his sleeve.  She needed to be cautious.  

By this point, Cal was truly annoyed. His daughter just seemed to be spoiling everything, each of his choices had been shot down. He probably no longer had Jemma under his control, and the wolfsbane potion shattering on the ground reminded him that tonight was the full moon, Skye would be turning into the powerful wolf again and there wasn't much he would be able to do against her then.  
            It was the fact that he felt himself losing that finally made Cal angry. He wanted Skye to feel the emotional pain he felt from her rejection, so he used some of the only ammo he had left.  
            "I see I have a cheater on my hands." Cal snarled, referring to the way Skye had opted out of the fight. At least that was one thing they had in common, they were both good at getting out of situations if they squirmed hard enough. The protective stance his daughter was holding in front of the mudblood told him just how much what he was going to say would hurt her. He didn't hesitate.  
            "It didn't take long, you know," Cal paused, knowing his daughter was listening intently. "For her to scream." He clarified, the devilish grin returning.

             Her jaw clenched as her face stiffened along with the rest of her body.  She was pretty sure her father would be able to hear the sound of her teeth grinding together as she bit her tongue, actually too infuriated to say anything. She didn’t have to read into his words.  She knew _exactly_ what he had meant.

          _Skye hadn’t let her wand down, but she couldn’t look at her father.  Not with Jemma screaming like that and calling her name.  She could barely see anyway, tears were flooding her eyes.  She didn’t have any focus left._

_Her own shaking had stopped.  She couldn’t be this afraid when Jemma was the one in real trouble, with real fear and real pain in her eyes.  Skye’s grip on her wand tightened, and her face twisted into a terrible expression of anger.  She was angry at herself for letting  
this happen, angry at her father for doing it.  She was going through the motion before she could stop herself._

_“_ Sectumsempra _!!” Her motions were precise and the curse hit the boggart full force, taking it by surprise.  The image of her father mutated into a bloody mess, but still standing there, smiling, laughing, as if it hadn’t affected him at all._

_Skye lowered her wand, horrified with herself and that the spell did not have the desired outcome.  She had forgotten that this wasn’t real._

   Except this time it was.  Skye didn’t have to see it, because she already had.  She didn’t need to hear him explain it, because she already had, and although that had been a fake imitation of her father, her emotions had been very real.  They were all flooding back at once and upon his confession, Skye didn’t have to think twice about it.  She could feel the pull of the moon already.  There were no windows here but she knew it was dark outside.  She knew the moon was rising and soon she would have to stop and she would have to change…but that didn’t mean that she was done.

            “ _Expelliarmus_!”

            Skye waved her wand and when she did, Cal’s wand went with it, crashing across the room.  She had her plan.

            “ _Deletrius_!”  There was no recovery period.  She flew from one spell to the other in quick succession.  The white light struck Cal’s wand and it shattered to pieces.  He couldn’t _accio_ it back now, but she wasn’t worried about it.  She wasn’t done.

            “ _Ancorarius_!” A pulse shot out from her wand and hit her father, strong enough to make him stumble back some.  She had found this curse in the black book from the library thanks to Trip.  He wouldn’t be apparating away now.  No, she wanted him right here.  She wanted him stuck.  She wanted him as helpless as he had made Jemma.

            “You want me to be like _you_?” Skye questioned bitterly, almost spitting it through her still clenched jaw, “Here’s your one look.”  She grasped her wand tightly and was already pulling it back in a slashing motion before the curse left her lips.

            “ _Sectumsempra_!”  Skye barely followed through with the motion, the spell slicing through Cal’s legs deep enough to keep him from getting anywhere very fast anytime soon.  She was starting to shake all over.  She could feel the knot in her gut and her blood start to boil.  If she took the potion, she could do it herself…but he didn’t deserve the satisfaction.  He was an animal.  If he wanted her to be like him, then she would give her father what he wanted.

            Skye pulled the spare bottle of wolfsbane potion out with trembling hands.  The brunette eyed it for a moment, as if thinking it over, before she looked her father square in the eyes and let go.  The glass container dropped and shattered to the floor.  She would be daddy’s girl just for one night.

            There was no time left after that because as soon as the vial hit the floor, Skye was down on the ground next to it, clawing at the floor as her body began to transform and her screams filling the room where Jemma’s had been not many hours before.

Cal recognized the fury in Skye's eyes, and he grinned at having been able to draw it out. He'd known it had been in there somewhere, he just had to push all the right buttons.  
            The Death Eater had assumed his daughter had brought a spare wolfsbane potion when she didn't panic after breaking the first one, but after the wolf girl's rampage of spells, he was feeling the pain of her attack and a twinge of fear when she held the bottle over the cement floor. He'd taken a beating last time he'd challenged the werewolf form of his daughter, but now he didn't have the ability to apparate away.  
            As soon as Skye dropped to the ground, Cal transformed into his animagus form and tried to run, but it was a difficult and slow process when his hind leg was slashed through. He now understood Skye's plan. He was bleeding and he couldn't apparate. Skye hadn't taken a wolfsbane potion. She would be the wolf tonight and Cal would be the bleeding prey. He ran as fast as he could, though he already knew he was a goner. His only hope was his Death Eater friends outside, but both of them were actually incompetent. It had been Cal that had done all the searching for Jemma.  
            Cal was probably insane from all his years in Azkaban, but his last thought before he heard a growl behind him was that he succeeded in bringing out the dark part of his daughter that had been buried inside. He'd proved that she was like him, that she had that monster inside of her as well.

And now that monster was going to kill him.

Skye had done a clever thing by cutting up Cal’s leg.  The smell of blood had sent the she wolf into a frenzy, following after the hobbling creature.  With long clawed hands the werewolf reached out and snatched the injured leg out from under the black wolf and jerked it backwards so violently the leg probably dislocated.  The beast slung him back into the wall and turned on him.  Before the animagus could get up, strong jaws were latched around the back of the wolf’s neck, like the werewolf had latched onto the back of Skye’s during the third task.

Her bite pressure was more than an alligator’s and Cal would feel it as she snapped down on his neck, savoring the crunch it made.  The werewolf took one of its hind legs and stepped on the wolf’s chest, using her paws against the wall and floor as leverage as she pulled.  There were more cracks and the back section of the wolf’s spine came snapping out like she was ripping through paper instead of flesh and bone.

She would remember everything when she woke up in the morning.  Skye knew that much, but right now, she wasn’t herself and she didn’t have to deal with it.  She could force herself to live with the ramifications.


	7. Bene Requiem

“Skye, darling, it’s time for you to wake up.”

The brunette’s brow furrowed, shutting her eyes tighter.  She was so tired.  The thought of having to get up didn’t sound nearly as appealing as staying in bed.  That’s right…she was in a bed.  She took in a deep breath, smelling it first.  It was familiar.  It smelled like wet dog and woods and ash and rusty cauldron.  It smelled like home.

“Skye, you need to drink this.  Come on, wake up now,” It was her mother’s voice and after some more coaxing, Skye finally opened her eyes.  She blinked and her vision slowly adjusted and she found herself staring at the ceiling of her room.  Her old room.  Her actual room.  When she turned her head, the brunette groaned, grabbing for her neck.  Everything was sore.  So very sore and when her eyes landed on her mother, she felt confused.  She looked grim and happy all at once.  It was a sad smile and Skye couldn’t figure out why.

“There you are, there’s my girl,” Jiaying smiled warmly and instructed her daughter to sit up.  She knew it would take some effort, after everything she had been through.  She had healed the burning welts on her daughter’s stomach and applied silver dust to all of the marks she had raked across her body before the Aurors had found her, cowering in the corner of the abandoned factory and slamming herself against the stone walls.  “You need to drink this.  You will feel better.”

She could tell the girl was still half asleep, and she knew as soon as her daughter woke up fully, it would all hit her and this pleasant dream state would shatter like glass.  Skye took the warm mug from her and drank without hesitation.  Whatever the potion was, it worked quickly and Skye dropped the empty glass onto the bed with wide eyes as she stared blankly in front of her at the wall.

“I…”

“Yes,” Jiaying cut her off, taking the mug and setting it on the nightstand before she moved to sit on the bed next to her daughter, “You’re alright.  We all found you.  You didn’t…You _didn’t_ hurt anyone,” Jiaying said quickly.  They had found the aftermath of Skye’s change.  Jiaying almost hadn’t been able to stomach it.  Cal deserved what he got, Jiaying believed that…but she had hated that it had been Skye to do it to him.  Per her request, the Aurors had removed that particular memory from Skye’s mind before she had woken.  She wouldn’t have to live with that burden and it was a secret Jiaying was more than willing to keep.

Skye turned to her mother then.  She may not remember killing her father, but she remembered everything up till then.  The older woman watched as panic and fear washed over her daughter and she had to set a hand gently on her shoulder, “Jemma is with us.  Jemma is safe,” She said hesitantly.  Technically it was true…but her state of being was…well…altered to say the least.

“Can I go see her?!” Skye asked, ready to spring up from the bed, but Jiaying placed a firm hand against her legs, shaking her head.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea just yet…”

The way she said it, Skye knew something was wrong.  Her mother’s lips were pursed in a thin line and her jaw was tight.  “Just tell me.  Whatever it is.  I can take it.  I’m going to find out if you don’t tell me so you might as well say it now.”

Her daughter had a point, and her mother swallowed hard, looking down to the bed before she finally found the words and looked at her daughter again, “When we found you, you were still in your transformed state.  The aurors subdued you.  You had given yourself quite the beating.  The Aurors…took care of your father,” Jiaying tread cautiously, “Jemma was still asleep when we got there.  We did a trace on her, Skye.”  She didn’t want to tell her.  She wanted to spare her daughter the pain, but she was right.  If Jiaying didn’t tell her, Skye was going to get the information some other way.  “She was under the cruciatus curse for days, for hours at a time, while Strigi was flying back to you.  People aren’t…people aren’t meant to stand up to that sort of treatment, Skye.  Jemma is…she’s different.  She’s not the same,” Jiaying tried to bring Skye down gently, but she could tell her words were only getting the girl worked up.  She could see her body tense.

“I need to see her,” Skye shook her head and moved to go past Jiaying, but her sore body was too slow and Jiaying was firmly holding her back.

“Skye, that is not a good idea.  She barely lets me come into the room.  You’ve both been through a lot and you both need to rest, especially Jemma.  You can’t see her yet.  It’s too soon,” Jiaying instructed, but her daughter continued to push, and honestly she didn’t have the strength to keep the wolf girl detained for long.

Skye was out of bed in an instant, shoving past her mother and walking on wobbly legs out into the small hallway with nothing on but a tank top, arms covered in bandages, and some shorts.  She looked a disheveled mess, but she didn’t care.  She was flying down the steps and was at her mother’s door before Jiaying could make it down the staircase.  She was hesitant to turn the doorknob, but she needed to see for herself that Jemma was really here, and so she opened the door.

Jemma was sitting with her legs crossed on the bed in Jiaying's room, staring at the window, rarely blinking. Her hands were tightly clasped together in her lap and she was constantly on the verge of tears. She didn't think any of this was real. The tan walls, the soft mattress, and the window leading out to what was clearly Skye's yard were too good to be true, she had to be imagining them. She was probably still in that room, she was just in so much pain for so long she couldn't feel it as strongly anymore.

Her body still felt like it was on fire, though it was just the result of her mind and the way the cruciatus curse had fried her pain receptors. She couldn't move, or at least she wouldn't. She wasn't going to risk shattering this nice little image and finding herself back in that place.

The door slowly creaked open. Jemma didn't move or even glance in that direction, but she snapped to attention, alert and just waiting for something bad to happen. It was probably just Jiaying though, the woman had come in and just looked at her sadly several times before. Jemma was glad Skye wasn't here, she didn't want to think about her, she knew it would make the hole in her heart even bigger.

The floorboards creaked as someone approached her, and a bit of panic started to bubble up into the front of her mind. She finally flicked her eyes to the side just slightly to make sure it wasn't Cal coming for her, but when her eyes landed on her visitor, she couldn't peel them away. Her mouth hung open slightly and Jemma wanted to cry, though she refrained.

She caught herself actually wanting Skye to stay here, but she quickly shook the thought away. This wasn't real and she didn't want this fake image of her. She let her face fall blank again and went back to staring out the window, pretending her visitor wasn't here. It didn't work.

The room was almost dark, the only light was coming in from the window Jemma was staring out of.  Skye didn't say anything at first.  She didn't dare move.  From what the brunette could see, her girlfriend looked normal, and Skye could feel her heart beating up in her ears wishing that she was alright.  But when she turned around, Skye knew she wasn't.

It was the worst.  That little sliver of hope that slipped in when the girl almost smiled.  Like just for a moment, everything might really be alright.  Her mom had just over exaggerated.  Jemma was still her Jemma and they would get through this awful thing together.  Skye's face fell when the smaller girl's expression blanked and she turned back to the window.  Skye didn't know what the problem was.  She had to have recognized her.  She saw it.

Skye took a step deeper into the room, a cautious step.  The last thing she wanted to do was upset her.  Jiaying had said she had been under her father's curse for _hours_ at a time.  Skye couldn't even imagine what that felt like.  She didn't even know what that sort of exposure could do to a person.  Worst of all he had done it to Jemma and she wanted to empathize, to connect, to tell her it would be alright because that's what girlfriends did, but she didn't know how.  The closest thing she could think of was her change for the moon.  It hurt like hell, but really it only lasted a few minutes.  Skye had no comparison.  She had nothing.

"Jemma?  Can...can I come in?  Is that ok?" Skye waited with bated breath to see if the girl would answer her.  She wasn't sure what to expect.  She knew her mother had said this was a bad idea but even if Jemma wasn't herself now, Skye just knew that her Jemma had to be somewhere in there, among all of whatever her father had done.  Skye just needed to toggle her out.

"Skye...Skye Johnson." Jemma muttered under her breath. She remembered repeating the name over and over and over again, so it was just the first thing that came out of her mouth when she recognized the voice. Skye sounded so real. A tear finally escaped her watery eyes and a small sob made her body jump.

The scary thing was that it sounded so real Jemma was no longer sure it was fake. What was scarier than that was the possibility that she couldn't tell the difference between reality and her nightmares, though she already knew deep down somewhere that she couldn't.

"Skye Johnson is my girlfriend." She whispered quietly. "My name is Jemma Simmons." The words just kept tumbling out of her mouth. Her biggest fear was that while she was navigating the unstable plane between reality and imagination she would forget those two facts, the two most important facts. So she repeated them. She said them over and over again until they were ingrained in her mind and she was sure they would never slip away.

Skye didn't know whether to be happy or sad.  Somehow she was both.  Skye was very glad, very relieved that Jemma knew who she was and who Skye was.  She was relieved to hear that she still knew they were together, that her father hadn't managed to twist and torture that fact all to shit in some way.  It was a start.  What made her sad was the girl kept repeating it, like she needed to remind herself or she would forget.  She wasn't in a good way, and it made Skye's heart ache to listen to it.  

She made her move deeper into the room and slowly over next to the bed.  She didn't do anything else just yet.  She just stood there, trying to control her breathing and keep herself together.  She couldn't fall apart.  She wasn't allowed to fall apart.  They couldn't both be falling to pieces, it wasn't fair.  Skye needed to stay strong, stay in one piece so Jemma could fall apart if she needed to.  She was going to be there to put her back together.  That's what girlfriends did.  They were a team.

"Jemma, it's me.  We are in my house.  It's OK...no one is going to hurt you.  You're safe," the brunette whispered softly.  She was almost making sure she believed it herself.  Her father was gone.  The aurors had caught him and his friends.  Everything would be alright.   "I'm not going to leave you," Skye slowly touched her hand to Jemma's.  She just wanted to show her it would be alright.  She wanted to be here for her.

The physical contact startled Jemma, and more than that, it hurt. Something must have still been affecting her mind, because when Skye touched her, it burned her skin and it felt like it had when she was under the curse. Jemma didn't know if she was imagining it, she probably was, but all that mattered at the moment was that she was in pain and she wanted it to stop.

Jemma physically flinched and scrambled off the bed, standing on the opposite side of it from Skye and clutching her hand to her chest. Her chest was heaving up and down as she felt herself beginning to hyperventilate. It wasn't supposed to hurt when Skye touched her, it was supposed to make her feel better. Everything about this situation was wrong and it made Jemma want to throw up. It couldn't have been Skye touching her when she felt that sting, she had to have been imagining her in place of whatever had actually hurt her. She'd almost been tricked into thinking this was real before, but she wasn't going to fall for it.

The cruciatus curse was the cause of the lingering feeling that everything was painful, but Jemma didn't know that. She didn't know anything, which was a new feeling for her, a scary one. She felt like she was trying to find her way through a dark void with nothing to help her see where she was going.

The brunette stood frozen by the bed, looking back and forth from her hand to Jemma, who looked terrified.  Skye didn't know what to do.  She hadn't expected Jemma to jump and react so badly.  She had just wanted to help, to comfort her like Jemma had so many times for her.

"Skye," The girl turned back to the doorway when her mother called her name.  Jiaying was standing there, a warm cup of something in her hand.  With the other she was motioning her daughter to back out of the room.

Skye didn't budge.  She didn't know what to do. She moved to take a step for Jemma, to maybe try again, to explain it had been an accident, whatever she had done, but she felt a tug on her arm.  

"Let her be, darling," Jiaying insisted, gently pulling Skye from the room.  She went back in herself and set the cup on the nightstand.  It was a potion she had mixed up in preparation to help Jemma. She was an excellent potions master but Jiaying knew it would take a long time and a lot of effort to get the girl back to normal, if it could be done at all.

"Here Jemma dear.  You should drink something at least.  You'll feel better, " the older woman instructed gently and left the room, slowly shutting the door and leaving the girl to her privacy.  Jiaying turned to her daughter who hadn't moved from where she had put her.

"Skye, I told you it was a bad idea.  She's not ready for this yet.  It's going to be a slow process and she might never fully recover." Jiaying was going to continue, but her daughter cut her off.

"It's your fault..." Skye mumbled.

"Excuse me?   Skye, she's different and you need to tre-"

"It's your fucking fault!" Skye shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her mother.  She couldn't fall apart in the room with Jemma but she could here where the girl couldn't see.

"Daisy Skye Johns-"

"Don't call me _Daisy_!  It's your fault!  All of this is your fault!! If you had just let us stay at the first safe house then Jemma would have been safe with us and Cal would never have gotten her and she wouldn't be like this!  If you didn't just think about me, if you had thought about her, about the other people who were going to get hurt by dad then we wouldn't be in this mess!  Jemma would be OK! So don't you talk to me about not being ready!  You _did this_ , you _fix it_!"  Skye was having none of it.  She was so angry she was shaking.  She couldn't stand here in front of her mother.  She couldn't stand it.

Jiaying watched as her daughter disappeared from in front of her and she heard the familiar displacement of air upstairs before the door to Skye's room slammed shut.

 

_________________

 

It had been two days now, and Jemma was in Skye's room. Skye had given it up, claiming that Jemma would be more comfortable in a room she was familiar with. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Jemma to get up and move around, but Skye had been right, Jemma was a little less anxious in Skye's room.  
            She'd changed into some of Skye's clothes, a big sweatshirt and shorts. They smelled like her and it was comforting. There were beginning to be more and more signs that all of this was real, but Jemma was still untrusting. She wouldn't drink whatever Jiaying kept leaving in her room. She was smart enough, even in her disturbed mental state, to know that it wasn't tea. She wouldn't eat or drink anything, actually, she just couldn't be sure what it was. It was starting to make her feel sick; her stomach felt hollow, and her hands were shaky and weak. She was always nauseated, but it was a feeling she learned to ignore.  
            Jemma spent most of her time alone, sitting on the bed and staring off into space, not thinking about anything. The more she thought about things, the more confused she got. She hadn't slept yet either, and the backs of her eyes felt sore. Her eyelids were constantly drooping, but she was too scared to let herself go into such a vulnerable state.

She could tell just by how much light was shining through the closed translucent curtains that it was nearing noon. No one had come in to see her yet, and for that she was grateful. When someone was in the room, whether it was Skye or Jiaying, she felt anxious and stressed. When it was the older woman, Jemma felt like she was being overly nice and cautious. When it was Skye, it was even more frustrating because it felt like there was something the other girl wanted, something she wanted Jemma to do, but she didn't know what.  
            If Jemma was a dog, her ears would have perked up when she heard footsteps in the hall. The doorknob turned slowly and then stayed in place, like whoever it was was deciding whether or not she wanted to come in. Finally, Skye slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. The brunette glanced at the untouched cup of whatever Jiaying had given her the previous night. Again, Jemma felt that pang of disappointment radiating off of Skye and she brought her eyes back down to her lap.

The potion sat on the nightstand, full to the brim as Jiaying had left it, and it made Skye sigh.  If her girlfriend wasn't eating or drinking she wasn't going to get any better, especially if she wasn't taking the medicine her mother was giving her.  They would never get there and Jemma would just get worse instead of better.  Skye knew better than to touch her now since it had gone so poorly the first time.  She was having a hard time figuring out how she was supposed to comfort her.  She had already given up her room, and of course she was glad that Jemma was wearing her clothes.  She was welcome to any of her stuff if it meant she was going to get better. But not being able to touch her...it was hard.  It was like having to watch her from behind glass every day, and it was making Skye antsy.    
            "I uhm...I brought you a book today.  Strigi brought it from your house.  I remember you said it was your favorite.  I...I thought maybe you could have it, if you wanted, if you got bored in here..." Skye leaned against the shut door, holding the book tightly in her arms before she set it down on the edge of the bed.  
            "I've uhm...also...also noticed you aren't drinking your medicine.  If you want to get better then you really should.  It's good for you...I mean I know it tastes bad but...it will help," Skye eyed the cup and tried not to sigh again.  She didn't want Jemma to feel like she was a burden to her by only coming in and stuttering and sighing the whole time.    
            "You should eat too you know.  My mom is a pretty good cook...you did stuff your face at Christmas. I don't know...if you remember that." Skye wished she would look at her, instead of at her lap or out the window or anywhere else, but her mother had instructed her to be patient.  They both knew patience wasn't her strong suit.

Jemma's head snapped up at Skye's words. She mentioned Christmas, and something about it that Cal wouldn't know. Her eyes shot down to the book on the bed. It was a muggle book, one she'd deemed her favorite before she ever learned that she was a witch. Cal wouldn't have known that.  
            The reason all of it felt so real...it was because it was. Jemma's eyes widened in recognition. She'd promised herself before that she wouldn't fall for any of this, but that was before the new evidence came to light. Of course, there was strong evidence for each side. Why did it hurt when Skye touched her? Why was Jiaying giving her what Skye called "medicine"? She wasn't sick. She wanted to look up at Skye, but she needed to try figuring this out using just the facts. If she continued letting Skye- or the vision of her, if that's what this was- influence her, her conclusion would be made based off of emotions alone.  
            Jemma was feeling the beginnings of a headache spawned by her complete and utter confusion. She moved her hands to grab her head and try to massage the pain away, but her arms were cramped and stiff from both lack of movement and dehydration. They made it only halfway there before she let them drop back into her lap and squeezed her eyes shut instead. It was so quiet for a moment that if she hadn't already known Skye was there, she wouldn't have been able to hear her.

"You...have a headache?" Skye asked when she saw Jemma reach for her temples.  She had looked at the book so that was something.  The smaller girl looked so tired and frail, Skye couldn't stand it.  She needed to figure out a way to get her to start eating again.  
            "Listen, I know that you don't want to touch any of this stuff.  And you know me, I hate gross potions and medical stuff too, but this is good for you..." Skye reached over and picked up the cup, "It will help with your headaches," she said quickly.  It wasn't a lie, it was true, just a little skewed, since that isn't all they did.  "Mom and I thought you were getting a lot of them so if you drink this stuff every day they'll go away and eventually they won't come back at all. It helps..." Skye tapped her head, a small smile on her lips, "up here with all the smart stuff you're so good at."  
            Skye slowly walked a little closer to her, but not close enough to startle her she hoped.  "Just look at me.  Just for a second.  I'll show you that it's not bad," Skye had to keep the sound of her begging, how much she needed it, out of her voice so Jemma didn't feel pressured.  She took the cup and took a big gulp out of it.

Her nose scrunched up a little but then she smiled, "it tastes better warm, but it smells nice too.  Do you think you can take a little for me?  Do you want some fresh?"

Jemma watched cautiously out of the corner of her eye as Skye came closer, and as she took a drink, Jemma actually turned her head and watched intently. After a few moments, nothing bad seemed to be happening to Skye. It didn't seem like she was lying. Even if she was, Jemma was already miserable, what more could the liquid do to her?  
            She looked up and into Skye's eyes, searching for any sort of discomfort caused by the potion, but there wasn't any. Skye was close to the bed, within an arm's reach, so after a long moment of decisive thought and a little moving her arm, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around the cup, careful to avoid touching Skye's fingers. She looked into her eyes and nodded just a little bit to tell her that she would try it.  
            She brought the cup closer to her face and under her nose. Skye was right, it did smell nice. As she brought the cup closer to her lips, she caught a glimpse of the desperate, hopeful look in Skye's eye. Her girlfriend really wanted her to drink whatever this was. She did. The liquid tasted foul, but it did wonders on her parched throat and she didn't have any means of self control as she downed the rest of it.

Skye sighed.  She couldn't help but to do it.  She was relieved that Jemma had trusted her, even looked at her like she asked.  Jiaying had told her it was going to be a slow process, so she needed to respect Jemma's pace.  She was happy though, even if it was only a little bit.  
"Your headache should go away in a little bit," Skye said confidently, smiling at Jemma now and gently took the cup when she was done with it, doing the same and being careful not to touch her in the process.  "Would you like me to bring you some water? Or some food?  Mom made some stew.  It would be easy on your stomach, with some bread?". She had gotten her to drink well enough, but living on that potion alone wasn't going to be enough.

Skye looked relieved, happy even. As Jemma watched her reaction to the simple action of drinking the potion, it clicked in her brain that maybe this was what Skye wanted each time she came into the room. She nodded, and clearly this was the right answer. Skye's face lit up. The idea of food wasn't very appealing to her, but she didn't feel as anxious when Skye wasn't silently and accidentally pressing her about something.  
            "Just, um...just a little." She said quietly. It felt weird to use her voice, she hadn't used it since the very first time Skye had visited her and it hadn't been meant for conversation. Even after the potion, her throat was dry and sore from not drinking water, and, well...screaming. Jemma winced at the memory she didn't think would ever not be fresh in her mind. A tingle ran through her body and she felt panic rising up in her throat. This is why she preferred to sit and not think about anything, it all inevitably led back to what had happened. Jemma quickly and frantically scanned the room with her eyes again, but there were no grey walls and there was no Cal, only familiar furniture and Skye.  
            Skye saw her starting to panic.  It made her want to rush to her and hold her and tell her it would be ok, but she didn't.  She couldn't. If she did then Jemma would freak out again and they would be back to square one.  "Hey, it's alright," she said quickly and moved to back up towards the door instead.  "It's ok.  I promise.  Try to focus on something nice, so your headache doesn't come back before the medicine can work..." Skye looked around her room frantically for something that Jemma could focus on.    
            She finally spied something she thought would work at the foot of the bed, pushed up under some pillows.  Slowly, she reached for it and pulled the small stuffed animal out. It was a brown bear, very cliche with a big red heart in its hands.  Jemma had given it to Skye on one of their first valentine's days together.  Skye loved it of course.  She brought it to school with her every year.  She missed having to leave him at home while she had been running around trying to avoid her father.  
            "Do you remember this little guy?  You gave him to me our very first valentine's," the brunette gently set the small stuffed bear on the bed near Jemma.  He smelled a little old now, but he smelled like Skye and her house more.  "You can hold him if you want. He is full of nice fun memories.  He will keep you company...I'm just gonna go get a little soup for you," Skye smiled lightly then turned and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her.  She was relieved the girl had taken the potion and was now agreeing to eat a little food...but her mood could still shift at any moment.  It had only been two days.  Skye would need to be patient.  
            She went into the kitchen and got out a bowl and a glass.  Her mother was there, but Skye ignored her, as she had for the last two days.  She poured some soup into the bowl and got a small slice of bread and a large glass of water and brought it back for Jemma.  She said a quick incantation and the door opened for her and she slid in.  
            "Here, see? Only a little just like you asked."

When Skye returned, Jemma already had the stuffed bear smashed up against her chest, she was hugging it tightly and rocking back and forth slightly. She'd moved so that her knees were up against her chest instead of crossed, and the change made her legs ache. She hadn't moved in two days and her joints felt stuck.  
            With her superhuman hearing, it wouldn't be difficult for Skye to tell that Jemma's heart was racing. Jemma was reliving it in her head, as she did every time she thought about it. The mind numbing pain just seemed to go on forever, it had during her torture, and it was still causing her pain even now, though a different kind.  
            Jemma was vaguely aware of Skye's presence again, though it didn't mean much to her. It wouldn't stop her panic attack and it was hardly comforting. As sad as it seemed, Jemma's memories of Skye were more comforting than Skye herself at the moment. She tried to think back to that valentines day, to the times when they could share kisses any time they felt like it and neither of them was scared about anything, except maybe an upcoming test or quidditch game. It didn't seem to work though, it only reminded her how fucked up her problems were now, making it worse.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, it all stopped. Her breathing returned to normal and her heartbeat slowed down, even though she hadn't come even close to calming down herself. Jemma glanced at the empty cup the potion had been in. It definitely wasn't just headache medicine, but she almost didn't mind now that it had stopped her panic attack and forced her to calm down. Skye lied to her though, or at least didn't tell her the whole truth. Jemma let the bear fall the the mattress and wrapped her arms around her legs. She wanted to be upset, but she didn't feel it. The potion was preventing her from feeling things, and it made Jemma uncomfortable. She sort of felt a little like she did when Cal had paralyzed her, like she couldn't move and didn't have her own free will, thought this time it restrained her use of emotions instead of her body.

She felt dull again, but staring off into space also felt weird, so she decided to look at Skye instead.

            Skye watched with sad eyes as her girlfriend started to panic.  She hated seeing her like this, but that’s why she had brought the potion.  It would help her calm down and help her to feel better.  When Jemma did calm down, the difference was drastic.  The brunette could see Jemma shy away from her, just a little.  The potion hadn’t just gotten rid of the headache, it was to help calm her down too.  Skye hadn’t told her about that part and now she felt guilty.  She had only done what she needed to do to get Jemma to drink it.

            “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything it did.  It was just a little white lie.  You know, like the one I told you two birthdays ago when you asked if I got you the advanced potions book and I said no,” Skye moved further into the room, slowly, and gently sat the food down on the nightstand.  “But I did get you that book.  And you were so happy,” Skye smiled and took a step or two away from her, not wanting Jemma to feel like she was invading her space.  
            “It was like that...I didn’t know if you would take it otherwise.  I’m sorry that I lied, I won’t lie anymore, I promise,” Skye nodded and made a little ‘x’ motion over her heart before she reached behind her head to scratch her neck.  She didn’t know what to do.  “Uhm...anyway, the soup is good, and I brought you lots of water so your throat doesn’t hurt.  You should think about eating a few bites at least, before it gets cold...uhm...I can leave, if you want?  Or, or I can stay.  Whatever is going to make you the most comfortable.  I could even bring some and eat with you?”

Jemma didn't know what she wanted. She didn't know whether she wanted Skye to stay or leave or whatever other options she had. She was confused and she didn't know how to express that. On one hand, she liked having Skye there because she kept telling stories about them, and it was nice, but on the other, the little bit of trust the brunette had gained was now hanging on the line because of her little potion stunt.  
            Hunger won out, though, and before she would eat what Skye had brought to her, she wanted to see Skye eat some herself.  
            "The third one." Jemma whispered, sounding almost embarrassed as she looked down, but this time at the book. She picked it up, along with the bear, and scooted closer to the head of the bed and the nightstand so that Skye would have enough room to sit when she got back. She ached all over when she moved, but it felt good to switch positions and sit in a new place on the bed that she hadn't worn into.

            Skye nodded, smiling, but trying not to smile too big.  She didn’t like having to censor her emotions like this, but she didn’t want to make Jemma uncomfortable.  “I’ll be right back,” and with that Skye was out of the room again, gently shutting the door behind her.  
            “How is she?  Is she eating?  Did you get her to drink the potion?” Jiaying asked, eyeing her daughter from her chair in front of the fireplace.  Skye remained silent, gritting her teeth together against her mother’s words as she leaned over the kettle and ladled out more soup for herself.  She grabbed a bigger piece of bread than she had given Jemma and stuck it in the soup.  She got her own cup of water and then walked right by her mother without saying a word, and back up the stairs into her room.

            The brunette smiled again when she saw the girl had scooted over and made space for her on the bed.  She shut the door behind her and walked over, setting her glass of water down on the nightstand next to Jemma’s before sitting down in the space she had provided for her.  “Just be careful, it’s a little warm.  Just came off the fire,” Skye advised and took the dunked bread and blew it off, biting off a piece that was covered in stew.  She seemed to relax herself then.  She hadn’t realized it, but she was very hungry as well.  Of course, not as hungry as Jemma, but she had done enough worrying over the past couple of days to have forgotten a meal or two.  Skye ate another piece, smiling as she did and turned to Jemma, “See? It’s really good.  I’m not sprouting antlers or anything weird.  It’s just soup.  I promise.  I said I wouldn’t lie anymore.”

Jemma followed Skye's lead, picking up the bowl from the nightstand and bringing it over to her lap. She hadn't realized how weak she'd gotten until the only partially filled bowl felt heavy and it was a task on its own just to get it. Jemma let the bread soak in the stew until it was soggy before she finally cautiously took a bite, searching Skye's face for approval as she did. It was there, so she kept going, albeit very slowly. The food almost made her more nauseated since she hadn't had any in days.  
            She didn't finish all of it, but she'd gotten in more than a few bites before she felt full and put the bowl back on the nightstand. It took a few moments for her to decide if she wanted the water, she smelled it and started with a small sip just to make sure it was actually water. It seemed like it was, so Jemma drank most of it, slowly, so it didn't upset her stomach.    
            When she finished, Jemma could really feel her eyes drooping. She hadn't slept for at least three days, and now her stomach was full. The need for rest greatly outweighed her fear. Her energy level had hit rock bottom and she wouldn't last much longer.  
            Before, she would have read until she fell asleep if she was feeling troubled and Skye would move the book off her chest when she finally dozed off. Reading when she was this tired and miserable would be strenuous. Jemma glanced upwards at Skye, and maybe she had a little too much hope that this was actually her. There was only one way to find out, and it would be to play this whole thing out.  
            The book Skye had brought her was still sitting next to her on the bed, and she picked it up gently, staring at the cover in her lap for a few minutes before stretching her arm out, leaning forward, and putting it on the mattress right in front of Skye. She hoped the other girl got the message, she didn't much feel like talking.

            Skye ate most of her soup, but when she saw that Jemma was done, she put hers down too.  She could always get more later if she was still hungry, but she was here for her girlfriend right now, not her stomach.  When Jemma placed the book in front of her, she glanced over at the smaller girl.  She looked tired, as well she should be.  Skye didn’t think she had been sleeping much, if at all.  It was starting to take its toll.

“You want me to read to you?” Skye asked. A small smile crossed her lips as she picked up the book and flipped to the first page.  “Alright, I’ll read till you go to sleep, okay?  Lay back, get under those covers.  It’s chilly in here at night.  I’m sure you remember.”  Skye moved off of the bed and waited patiently for Jemma to adjust herself before she sat back down at the foot of the bed.  
            “Alright...let's see, page one,” She took a deep breath.  She wasn’t accustomed to reading out loud, and she didn’t know how good she was going to be, but if it helped her get to sleep, then Skye was going to do whatever she needed to do.  “The earth began to quake slightly outside Port Claiomh, the one port on the edge of Divakar, as sand ruptured up and a Sand Dragon burst from the earth into the late afternoon. The extreme temperatures had died down for the day, so no danger lay in being out in the open. Its great body slithered forth from the ground, its golden eyes gazing out to the town. A giant steel bit hung in the back of its mouth as its tongue flickered out to smell the air.  His dazzling brown and orange scales glimmered in the rays of the dying sunlight.”

Skye smirked.  Jemma really did like all this weird sci-fi nonsense.  She had tried to explain it all a few times but the brunette had never really gotten a good grasp on it.  She didn’t enjoying reading as much as the Ravenclaw did.  She would rather be outside doing something or pulling a prank.

Jemma had the words of her favorite book memorized, so she knew each time Skye made a mistake, but it didn't bother her, it was still comforting. When she had gotten under the covers, she'd felt an overwhelming wave of something she couldn't really identify wash over her. She didn't dare say it was contentment, but it was definitely a good feeling. The pillow was just as soft as she remembered it to be, and the blankets just as warm. Her eyes instantly fell closed, though sleep wouldn't come as quickly.  
            As Skye continued, Jemma listened for words that she knew Skye pronounced differently because of their accents. She could tell Skye was trying her best, but after a while the girl started stumbling over words, not used to reading out loud. For a little while, Jemma was sure everything would be alright eventually. She began to doze off when Skye got to the second chapter, and she finally floated off into unconsciousness just before chapter three.

 

_____________

 

It started out as a few restless turns, Jemma was dreaming about her time on the run, bouncing back and forth between varying park benches and patches of dirt, but it quickly progressed. The further she got into her dreams, the more she began to toss and turn, tangling her limbs in the sheets.

_"Crucio!" Jemma's hands flew to her head and she grabbed her hair with her fists as the searing pain split through her entire body. She bit her tongue until she could taste blood as she slid down against the wall._

Jemma's hands grabbed at the sides of her head, curling up into a defensive ball as the images continued playing out in her head. Small whimpers were beginning to escape into the room, and Jemma's mind only plunged her deeper into the horrible memories.

_Jemma's back arched as another throbbing assault on her mind sent her spiraling into a fit of screaming. The sound was becoming so constant she almost couldn't hear it anymore, like a drone in the background, unchanging and never ceasing. Jemma was writhing in agony on the cold, hard cement floor, and she wanted nothing more than to die._

Jemma was screaming now, jerking around and miserably going through the same motions she was in her dream. She could see it all very clearly, it was a very vivid nightmare. The grey walls were closing in on her, despite the vast size of the room. She hadn't woken up on her own yet, and her brain was only throwing more horrible visions at her.  
            In her nightmare, Skye suddenly appeared, pointing her wand at her and shouting some spell Jemma couldn't hear over her own screaming, and the memories of the cruciatus curse and her fake duel with Skye jumbled together in her confused mind until they merged into one awful dream where Skye was the one torturing her.

 

____________

 

Skye was awake on the couch in their living room.  It had been her bed for the last two days and would probably go on to be her bed for a while.  She had a hard time getting to bed until the early morning hours now, since she had contracted the werewolf condition.  It left her idle for several hours, staring out the window to look up at the moon and out into the woods beyond the house.  She could hear every creak and every squeak the old building made, especially in the dead of night when everyone was asleep.

She was content to sit on the couch.  She had a warm mug of sleepy time tea, which wasn’t helping with sleepy time at all, and the copy of the day's paper, which she had been too busy to read before.  She wasn’t exactly all that interested in the paper, it was just that there was nothing else to do and she just couldn’t compel herself to go to sleep.  Sleep hadn’t come any easier since turning into a werewolf and it certainly didn’t help that she and Jemma couldn’t sleep in the same bed.

Skye also had an ear out listening for the girl.  She could hear her breathing and her heart beat fairly clearly, even from all the way downstairs.  The silence of the house at night had its advantages.  Skye was wrapped up in an article when she heard some shuffling from upstairs.  Jemma was probably rolling over to sleep on her other side.  When it persisted though, the brunette put the paper down and stared intently at the staircase.  She shouldn’t go up.  She didn’t think Jemma would appreciate waking her up, especially if the girl didn’t even like for her to touch her now.  The wolf girl tried to ignore it, going back to her paper but it wasn’t much longer until the shuffling increased.

Skye set the paper down again and stood up off of the couch.  She listened hard and grimaced when she detected Jemma’s heart rate had skyrocketed.  She must be having a nightmare.  The brunette’s fists clenched and she forced herself to sit back down.  The dream would fade and Jemma would go back to sleep.  The potion was supposed to help her all around, not just when she was awake.

She was just reaching for the paper again when she heard the first scream.  This time she shot up and tossed the paper away and bolted for the stairs.  The screaming continued her entire way up the spiral staircase and now she was glad she had taken the sound proof charm off of her room.  She heard her mother’s door open just as she opened Jemma’s door.  She was definitely having a nightmare, and it made Skye’s heart ache to not know what to do, if she could do anything at all.  It didn’t seem likely.  Jemma wasn’t exactly alright with being touched and handled, and Skye doubted jolting her awake from her dream would help the situation, but she couldn’t stand there and listen to her scream like that.

Jiaying was up the stairs in the next instant and came up behind her daughter.

“I can’t touch her! Do something,” Skye pleaded.  It was the first sentence she had said to her mother in two days.  The older woman was relieved, but well prepared.  She knew a spell to quiet dreams.  She had used it on Skye more than once when she had come home and started screaming in the night for the horrors of the third Triwizard task.

“I will, stand back, give me room,” Jiaying said and pulled out her wand, “She’ll be alright.   _Bene Requiem_ ," A light mist moved out from her mother’s wand and floated its way over to the restless girl, surrounding her body before lightly falling on her and soaking in.  The spell was supposed to help with bad dreams, and either make sure that they became good dreams, or that the individual didn’t dream at all.

“She’ll sleep better this way,” Jiaying put her wand away and turned to look at Skye, who was still frozen in the same place and completely frustrated that she didn’t know what to do, or how to help.  “It’s going to take time, darling.  One day at a time,” Jiaying wrapped an arm around her daughter and led her out of the room, allowing Jemma’s door to shut as they walked down the stairs.  The older woman deposited her daughter off at the couch.  She hadn’t spoken again since her desperate request up in the room, but she let her mother lay her down on the couch, eyeing her with a silent thank you before the woman returned back to her room.  It was going to be a long night of listening.


	8. Puzzles

             It had been a little over a week now since Skye had woken up and her world had been turned upside down.  She had found a steady rhythm for her day.  Sleep a few hours past midnight, wake up early and go on a run, shower, check on Jemma, eat breakfast, zone out watching some muggle tv on their enchanted television, check on Jemma, do things around the house, check on Jemma, eat lunch with Jemma, take a nap, check on Jemma, go for an afternoon run, shower again, check on Jemma, eat dinner either with Jemma or by herself, read to Jemma till she fell asleep, sit on the couch and read the paper, stare out the window, listen for Jemma, finally fall asleep and wake up and do it all again.  It wasn’t exciting, but it was routine and that was what Jemma needed right now.  Routine.

            Skye was currently on her afternoon run part of her schedule.  There was a crisp chill to the air, even with the sun at its highest point in the sky.  The coldest weather of the winter months was approaching and with things the way they were, the brunette didn’t even want to think about how the Holidays were going to go.  Certainly not as well as last year.  Probably not even close.  She got too hot sprinting through the woods with a sweater on, so even though it would be approaching freezing point in the next week or so, she had on shorts and a t-shirt.  All she could figure was the exercise and her new wolfs blood or whatever it was kept her warm.  Over the summer Jemma had mentioned something about her base temperature being higher now.

            She was a mile or so to the back of the house, surrounded by woods, but just leaving the thin tree line to make her walk towards the lake ahead in a clearing.  The lake was vast, and had always been one of her favorite spots to go. It was more so now, thanks to the summer she had spent swimming and washing off in it.  The brunette had even brought Jemma here a few times the past summer.  Skinny dipping hadn’t really been the smaller girl’s strong suit though.  Now she saw it more as a hunting ground.  Skye remembered when she had been in her wolf form, she had stalked an elk all the way to the lake and taken it down.  Her mother had appreciated the meat to freeze away and save for a later date, but neither she nor Jemma had really appreciated the bloody mess she had left it in on the porch.

            The memory made her chuckle, and so Skye decided to take a break from running and sit on the bank.  She wondered, if she could get Jemma out of the house, if she would like to visit.  It really was beautiful, and if it snowed anytime soon, they could go skating on it.  The brunette sighed, pulling her legs up to her chest as she gazed out over the lake.  She doubted Jemma would even want to come out of her room, let alone outside of the house and into the woods.  Maybe she would just tell her about it.  Jemma did seem to perk up a little whenever Skye told an old story about them.

            The girl had only been sitting there a few minutes, admiring the view when her sensitive ears picked up a familiar sound.  Her eyes darted to the sky and a big grin appeared on her face when she saw Strigi flying over the trees into the clearing from the other side of the lake.  She was surprised to see him, but still happy to have some company while she tried to take a break from her new normal life.  The brunette hadn’t sent him on any errands and she had thought that her mother would use Archi for any letters she needed to send, but she supposed that when you had a bigger bird it was easier to get mail out.  She flagged the bird down and the barn owl was more than happy to take a break from his long journey and come and land on her arm.

            Skye rubbed the bird affectionately and scratched under his beak, which made him ruffle up his feathers and tilt his head this way and that in delight.  It wasn’t until after she finished petting him that she saw he had a letter.  “Well what do you have here, Strigi?” She grinned and took a peek at the envelope.  Her face scrunched.  The letter was from Jemma’s parents.  They had already been informed of what had happened and to Skye’s knowledge they were fine with Jemma staying with them.  After all, her mother was the best option there was if they wanted her to get better.  What made her confused was, it was addressed to her mother, and not actually to Jemma.  Now, Skye knew that Jiaying did not particularly like Jemma’s parents, but that was only because Jemma’s parents did not particularly like Skye.  They thought she was a bad influence, and if any of the past few months had been a good indication, Skye herself could hardly disagree with them.

            She turned the letter around and opened it up, curious as to its contents.  She had thought that they would have written to Jemma, not her mother.  Surely Jemma would have appreciated a letter from home.  It might make her feel better.  Skye pulled the letter out and unfolded it and began to read.  The beginning was normal enough, everything she had expected Jemma’s parents to say, but what upset her was the second small paragraph.

            “Your family has done enough to Jemma and we’d like her to be somewhere where she can heal…?” Skye’s face contorted into one of anger, and she gripped the letter, reading through it again.

_Dear Jiaying,_

_Jemma's father and I both appreciate your honesty and everything you've done. We were more than relieved when we received your letter informing us that Jemma is in fact alive, but it sounds like her condition is much worse than we imagined. We have very carefully reviewed each of your suggestions and have come to a decision._

_We are not very knowledgeable when it comes to the magical world and all of its ailments, so we would be unable to care for Jemma and treat her adequately. While we are grateful for your offer to care for Jemma yourself, we'd be most comfortable if our daughter was under the care of professionals in a facility designed for the treatment of these types of mental issues. Your family has done enough to Jemma and we'd like her to be somewhere where she can heal, and then we'd like her to come home for good.  
            Please, transfer her to the hospital_ _you described._

_Sincerely,_

_Mrs. Simmons_

 

Her temper flared and the wolf girl balled up the letter and the envelope all in one and tossed it as far as she could into the lake.  She shouted at it, the sound echoing all across the open lake.  Skye could hear it bounce off the trees on the other side, even as she kicked a large rock into the lake, causing a fairly sized splash.

            “They can’t _fucking_ do that!  They can’t take her away!  They don’t understand!”  She was shouting at nothing but she didn’t care.  At least the barn owl seemed to be listening intently to her.  The Slytherin girl was pacing now, back and forth, like she did so very often when she was angry.  Her hands were flying every which way as she continued to yell at nothing.  She couldn’t understand how they could even imagine that a mental hospital would be good for Jemma.  She needed familiar things and familiar places.  A hospital would scare her to death.  And her parents obviously thought this was all Skye’s fault.

            Really, she couldn’t say that she blamed them for that part, but still.  Skye knew they had never really liked her, but they kept letting her come over for holidays.  Jemma seemed to think they were just being picky because she was their only little girl, but Skye had a sense for those kinds of things.  Obviously she had been proven right.  “She can heal just fine here.  She can get better here.”  She wasn’t going to let them take Jemma anywhere.  She was even more appalled that her mother had suggested it.  They both knew that Jiaying was the best option, so why did her mother undermine herself and suggest a mental hospital?  Skye had just started talking to her mother again after her initial rage about the entire situation the first day after she had woken up.

            Jemma was getting better.  She had already made a lot of minor improvements since everything had happened.  She was eating and drinking again, she was walking around the room more, even if it was just in the room.  She was talking to Skye more and more, even if the conversations were short and mostly one sided.  She didn’t look as uncomfortable when either Jiaying or Skye came into the room.  Sometimes she smiled…or almost smiled.  She was letting Skye read to her.  There were so many things that they couldn’t see that meant Jemma needed to stay with her.

            It took her a while to cool down, but once Skye had finally calmed herself, she stopped pacing.  Strigi came flying back to her and landed on her shoulder, rubbing his soft head up against her cheek.  The brunette sighed heavily and began to rub his feathers as she turned to walk back.  She didn’t feel like rushing home this time.  She needed to take her time and let everything simmer down.  She didn’t know how she was going to keep Jemma here, but she figured she had some time before her mother started questioning whether or not the Simmons’ family had received her letter.  She was going to have to keep a careful watch out for both incoming and outgoing mail to Jemma’s parents.  Skye needed to keep Jemma with her.  It was the best option, the only way that she would be able to heal properly, and she was going to do it no matter the cost.

_________________

 

Jemma was alone. Skye was out running and Jiaying had informed her earlier that she would be out restocking on an ingredient she'd run out of. The shortage caused Jemma to have to go without her potion today and it made her anxious not to have a safety net if she were to panic, especially since the emptiness of the house was weighing down on her chest. She listened intently to the creaking noises that seemed to be amplified when no one was home, waiting for someone to get back and hoping no one came other than Skye or her mother.  
            She felt different without her potion, and now she could see just how much it had been helping her. It didn't feel like she was in control anymore, there was nothing to stop her heart from racing or keep her calm. Nobody was home to run to her and help ease her mind if anything were to happen.  
            Jemma needed to distract herself and stop thinking those thoughts, or she'd have a panic attack just worrying about having a panic attack. Her eyes landed on the book on the nightstand, her favorite one and the one Skye had been reading while she fell asleep. A sudden impulse shot through her brain. She wanted to read herself. She wanted to pick up a book and sit there to read it for hours, like she used to, and then she wanted Skye to come home and be proud of her for doing it. She wasn't stupid, she knew her girlfriend wanted her to go back to the way she was. Even through her foggy, confused thoughts and restrained emotions under the potion, she could tell that Skye was using a fake voice when they were together, one someone would use if they were talking to a child.  
            Jemma reached for the book on the nightstand, opening to where the bookmark stated Skye had left off last night. Her girlfriend had probably gone on reading a little while after she'd dozed off, but she couldn't have missed much and she already knew the whole story anyway. A little bit of excitement was the emotion she felt as she opened the book in the lap and let her eyes focus on it, but it quickly turned to confusion again. Jemma brought the book closer to her face, but it was still the same. The words and letters were all jumbled up in a way that didn't make sense and it frustrated her beyond belief. She wanted to read, to have a little piece of normal, but her brain wouldn't even allow that.   
            For the first time since Jemma had been returned to Skye's house, she was feeling angry. She was angry with the book for being confusing, even though that didn't really make sense, and she was angry at herself for not being able to understand it. She'd first picked out this book when she was ten, she couldn't even read a stupid _children's_ book. Later, she would feel upset about it, but for now, she was angry and beginning to fly off the handle. She stood up and hurled the book at the wall, where it collided with a loud crash. Jemma moved over to her other books, there had always been a stack of them in Skye's room, no matter where she was she always had books. She picked up the history textbook she had been reading over the summer and flipped it open to a random page. Just like her favorite book, the letters and words were all out of order and it made her head hurt.

This couldn't be happening, something had to be wrong with the books, she couldn't lose her ability to read. She just couldn't. The book was soon skidding across the floor in a random direction as Jemma reached for the next book in the stack. It was the same. A frustrated cry escaped her throat and she kicked over the entire pile, making her foot throb and more tears begin to roll down her cheeks. One by one, she flung each book across the room. She actually wanted to destroy them, and she didn't care at the moment what else was getting messed up in the process.

Sometimes the books hit the wall, sometimes they hit other things, her aim wasn't exactly good. Various objects were being knocked off the dresser onto the floor and it wasn't until one hit the mirror that Jemma stopped. The glass shattered and she flinched, realizing now what she'd done. Pieces of the mirror were scattered across the floor, reflecting light from the window. The mirror reminded Jemma of herself and what Cal had said about her. _When you do break, you won't crack, you won't crumble... you'll shatter._

Jemma forced herself to take deep breaths like the potion would have, had she been on it, and slowly, her heart stopped hammering in her chest. She thought she should at least pick up the glass so no one would hurt themselves when they came in to see her. The thought that she should find something to cover her hands first didn't occur to her and as she picked up the first large shard, her hand stung and she reflexively let the piece go again to clatter back on the floor. The bit of the mirror had sliced into her palm and Jemma just stared at the blood that oozed out of it. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that she should run it under cold water and bandage it, but instead she picked up the shard again, but with more caution, and looked down at her wrists. She didn't have a wand, but if she wanted, there was still a way to end her life right here. She would no longer have to worry about this being an illusion and if it turned out that maybe she was just going to continue being tortured, she should have mercy on herself now. If she waited, she might regret it later.  
            No, she couldn't. This had to be real, it had to be. The suicidal thought left her immediate decision making part of her brain, but she didn't forget it entirely. Sighing, she stood back up and walked to the conjoined bathroom in Skye's room to grab a towel. She wrapped it around her bleeding palm and went back to picking up all the glass, this time with the towel between her and the sharp pieces.  
            She cleaned it up successfully and threw the remains of the mirror into the trash. She didn't restack her books though, she was too tired from her brief outburst and she wanted to sit down again. Jemma was worried Skye would smell the blood and see the broken mirror and get mad at her, so she crawled into the bed and curled up, pulling the sheets over her head and letting out a few more tears before Skye would be getting home.

 

___________

 

Skye jogged up to her house, done with her run.  She wasn't as dirty as normal, having not run into any mud or dead animals she felt compelled to stuff into her face.  She was just super sweaty, to the point it was dripping from her forehead as she leaned over, bracing herself against the side of the house as she took her shoes off.  She left the dirty things outside and moved into the house.  She didn't want to stay outside and cool down and catch a cold. She needed a shower to clean up before she went in to see Jemma. She remembered the girl wasn't fond of her woods stench, and she probably would dislike it even more in her current condition.

The dirty wolf girl had been using her mother's bathroom to shower in, not wanting to disturb Jemma or make her uncomfortable by using that one, but when she stepped into the house, she stopped.  Something was off and it took her a moment to detect what it was.  She smelled blood. Jemma's blood.  
          Skye didn't care how smelly she was.  The brunette shot up the stairs, the smell getting stronger until she opened the door to her room and the scent of blood flooded her nose.  At first she started to panic, she didn't see Jemma at all.  
            "Jemma?" The girl would surely be able to pick up how frantic she was.  Smelling blood wasn't a joke and Skye didn't have time to tiptoe around her if something was wrong.  Her eyes caught a glimmer in the corner among all the tossed books.  Had there been a fight? What had happened?  She didn't smell anyone else.  The mirror on her wall as gone, small pieces of it still catching her eye on the floor.  
            "Jemma? Are you here? Are you alright?" She smelled her and finally she caught sight of the lump in the bed and moved over to it quickly.  She could see the girl under the covers, shaking.  
            "Jemma, I need you to come out please. I need to make sure you are alright.  Are you bleeding, did something happen?" She knew she was going fast for the girl but her safety was Skye's first priority over giving her a headache.

Jemma tensed when she heard Skye and knew she'd come closer to the bed. She obviously saw the mirror and knew by now that Jemma was bleeding, but she didn't seem mad. She sounded scared, and Jemma didn't want her to have to be.  
            " 'M fine." Jemma muttered from beneath the blankets. It really was the truth, it was just a cut, but Skye didn't know that. She knew from past experiences that just telling her this wouldn't be enough, so she sat up, letting the blankets fall off her head. Skye was right there, worry evident on her face and in her eyes.   
            Jemma glanced down at her hand and she felt very stupid. Her fit had broken things and made a mess and then she hurt herself because she wasn't thinking. She still had the towel clenched in her fist and a few spots of blood had soaked through enough to be visible. She slowly spread out her fingers and moved the towel just to show Skye that it wasn't that serious before she replaced it and laid back down, turning her back to the brunette.   
            The fact that she couldn't read was still keeping Jemma upset, she didn't know what to do or how to fix it. She wasn't even sure how to express to Skye what was going on, she didn't have the words.   
            "Sorry." She mumbled, eyes watering. The books and varying things that had been knocked over would need to be cleaned up, and she would do it as soon as Skye left.

The brunette sighed, relieved when she saw that her girlfriend wasn't seriously injured.  She had started to worry. And she was still a little worried. She wondered what had happened that caused everything to be all around the room, but that could wait.  
            "Don't be sorry, Jems.  It's OK.  The room can be cleaned, I'm just glad that you are alright," Skye smiled and sat down on the bed.  Obviously Jemma was upset and now that she knew she was ok, she didn't want to infringe in her space anymore than she already had.  
            "If it's ok with you, I would like to clean your hand and bandage it up?  I won't touch you, you can do it, but I would feel better if we got something on it other than the towel.  Is that ok?" Skye asked tentatively. She didn't know if the girl had cleaned it at all or had just wrapped it in the towel. It would be good to bandage it up.  She didn't think Jemma wanted her to use her wand on it and heal it that way.  She didn't want to scare her, even if she was trying to help.

Jemma nodded, though she was facing away from Skye and wasn't one hundred percent sure she would see it. Her hand was stinging, and her fingers were getting stiff from holding the towel in place, so bandages might feel nice. She knew she needed to clean it too, so she sat up again and swung her legs over the bed. She threw Skye a grateful glance and got up to go to the bathroom. There was a book lying in the middle of the room, and Jemma didn't bother picking it up or walking around it, instead she just kicked it out of the way bitterly and watched as it slid across the floor and stopped at the wall with a thump.   
            Skye left then, presumably to find bandages, and Jemma turned on the water in the sink. She almost had to peel the towel away from her skin, the blood had been drying and making it stick. The rag wasn't worth washing, so Jemma tossed it into the trash where it landed among the shards of the mirror.  
            At first the soap and water made the cut sting even more, and the water had turned red and swirled down the drain with her blood. Eventually, though, the cool water felt relieving and she stood there motionlessly, watching the water run over her palm, until Skye appeared in the doorway, bandages in hand.  
            "Thank you." She said quietly as she passed her girlfriend and took the small bundle before sitting down with her legs crossed on the bed again. She left room for Skye on the mattress in case she wanted to keep her company and stay for a little while like she usually did.  
            "The books are messed up." Jemma said quietly, mostly to herself, as she wrapped the small roll of gauze around her hand and tucked in the end. Those weren't the right words though, of course the books were messed up. They were lying all over the floor instead of stacked in alphabetical order. Her hand pressed against the side of her head as if it would somehow help her brain come up with the right sentence. "They're wrong..." This was the closest she could get to explaining how all the letters and words were out of order on the page. This time, though, she looked up at Skye and wondered if the other girl understood a thing she was saying. Her face was the same as whenever Jemma talked about complicated topics from alchemy or arithmancy, but this time Jemma sounded too stupid instead of too smart and it frustrated her.

_She must have gotten frustrated…_ Skye couldn’t help but sigh this time.  She could imagine how not being able to read would make Jemma angry.  It was her favorite thing to do and having it stripped from her like this was an awful punishment.  The brunette could only hope the potion would hurry and help fix that part of Jemma soon.  Skye could be patient and wait for the rest she felt that the sooner she would be able to read, then maybe the sooner she would feel better all around.

“You know what, don’t even worry about them,” Skye shook her head and sat down on the bed next to Jemma with a smile, “you know what’s better than books?” Skye had no idea.  She was scanning the room for ideas, just talking before she had anything planned out.  She was only focused on making her girlfriend feel better, not on actually thinking it all the way through.

Her eyes landed on a dusty part of her upper book shelf, which was covered in more things that weren’t books than actually were books.  There, she spied a stack of puzzles.  They kept some in the attic at school too for when they were both bored.  They always played over Christmas break, no matter whose house they were at, but especially at Jemma’s house where they had a close watch over them most of the time.  Puzzles were hard and of course Jemma had only insisted on buying the large, thousand piece jigsaw kind and not the ten piece easy kind like Skye would have preferred.  She wasn’t much into puzzles, but it would probably help keep Jemma calm and make her think at the same time.  Her hands would be busy too, so she wouldn’t have time to get frustrated again, Skye hoped.

“Puzzles, puzzles are better than books.  We haven’t done one in a long time, would you like to?” The brunette asked, standing up and going over to the shelf and pulled down a long box.  The contents clattered around inside as she tilted it up so Jemma could see the picture.  It was a quaint little early morning scene in the woods with all sorts of animals on it.  They hadn’t done one of these in a very long time.  They hadn’t over summer because Skye had too much energy to sit through and think out a puzzle.  She would be content for five minutes and then need to get up and jog in place or go do something else…and then all the other stuff had happened.  Skye felt guilty about brushing off the books, but she couldn’t tell Jemma that the books were fine.  

It took a few seconds for Jemma to wipe the tear streaks off her face, but when Skye shook the box full of puzzle pieces and they rattled around inside, Jemma lifted her head and stared at it. It took her a quick moment to really understand, but when she did, she couldn't help it. A small smile stretched across her lips and she jumped up from the bed, nodding furiously and taking the box from Skye's hands, dusting it off. So many happy memories were associated with puzzles. Her favorites were the bored and annoyed looks that Skye had on her face when they did them at Jemma's house, where her parents were constantly breathing down the backs of their necks. They never got away with anything at Jemma's house, so puzzles were some of their only entertainment.

Jemma didn't seem to think this was as big of a deal as Skye did as she sat down on the floor with the jigsaw puzzle while Skye just stared at her in shock. The books were already long forgotten when Jemma had something else to occupy herself. If it was something she could use her mind for, Jemma was happy to do it.

Jemma opened up the cardboard box and dumped all the pieces onto the floor in one big mound and set the box aside, but sitting up so they could still see the picture. Immediately, Jemma got to work putting together the frame. Skye always used to just randomly start putting pieces together that fit and leaving her partially completed bits lying everywhere, but Jemma had a strategy. The edges were the easiest to match up and put together, so she built the outside frame first and worked her way towards the middle. She'd almost gotten two sides of the edges put together when she finally realized she was working alone. A puzzled look was on her face when she looked up at Skye, who was still standing here.

"Aren't you going to help?" She asked.

Skye blinked a couple more times before her brain could even work to register that Jemma had asked a question.  When finally it did make it through processing, Skye smiled wide and nodded quickly, “Yes, yes absolutely!”  She sat down across from Jemma, crossing her legs and looking over the puzzle pieces.  Her girlfriend seemed satisfied with her efforts when she had picked up two and put them together.

The brunette glanced up and Jemma was back to work.  She couldn’t stop smiling.  Honestly she hadn’t expected such a dramatic change just by pulling out a puzzle, but she was glad that it was happening.  It really did mean that Jemma was getting better.

The brunette felt a twinge of guilt at having been so rude to her mother now.  Obviously the potions were working, she just needed to keep Jemma in the right mindset…and maybe leave her alone in the house less often.  She didn’t want anything to happen on accident like it had today.

“I’m not as good at these as you are, remember,” Skye chuckled, putting a couple more pieces together and then sliding them over for Jemma to place in their proper spot.  She couldn’t see the whole picture like the smaller girl did, but she did her best to help out.

Jemma's mind was already running at a million miles a minute. She hadn't done anything like this since everything had happened and she was excited to finally be using her mind for something fun. All the pieces were matching up in her head, she knew where they were going to go before she even picked some of them up. She was moving at a very fast pace, thrilled that she was finally able to do something that made sense again. Her hands were moving separately, she could be placing two different pieces in different places at once, all while watching what Skye was doing and figuring out ahead of time where her pieces belonged. Each time her girlfriend passed her a cluster of ones she'd fit together Jemma positioned it exactly where it belonged, occasionally glancing at the box for guidance.

When Skye offered her a larger one with at least ten of the small shapes put together, she had a proud look on her face and it made Jemma smile. This was normal, this was good. Skye's piece belonged directly in the center, it was a large deer that the box showed as belonging near a tall pine tree. She didn't yet have a part of the puzzle it connected to, but she could estimate well enough to still place the chunk where it belonged.

Once she got comfortable and the original rocket launch of her eagerness to start had died down a little, she slowed down enough to really enjoy it, take her time, and make the activity last for longer.

"Here." Jemma held out a piece that belonged to what Skye was working on and dropped it into her palm.

Skye was glad that she had run so much and gotten her energy level down before this.  She didn’t think she would be able to sit here and do a puzzle with Jemma otherwise.  It was just too hard.  It was like she had to constantly be doing something, keeping moving, release her energy.  At least this way she knew she would be alright for a while.  Besides, the brunette was really enjoying herself.

Jemma looked so happy.  She looked normal, and that made Skye happy.  She had been so scared when she had come back into the house from her run, but now she was getting somewhere.  Jemma was opening up a little more and things were going to get better.

“Thanks,” She took the piece of puzzle and smiled to her girlfriend, looking down before she put it into place and then slid the finished part over to Jemma to place.  This might be a long day, but Skye felt now like it was going to be a good one.

__________

The day had indeed been good and now as Skye sat on the couch, her bed for the last couple of weeks, reading the paper, she felt content.  Jemma had made a lot of progress today and it really made her happy and hopeful that her girlfriend would be able to pull through.  Her mother had come home with the restocked ingredients of the potion she needed for Jemma and the batch was cooking up now.  It wasn’t a pleasant smell while cooking but once it was finished it smelled a lot better, almost like maple syrup and cinnamon.

The smell wasn’t keeping her awake.  Skye wasn’t sure what, in fact, was keeping her awake.  She just never seemed to sleep anymore as the moon grew closer, but she had since learned to deal with it.  She would be doing a lot of sleeping and resting once it was over to make up for it.  The first week after, she was normally a mess.  She was tired, she was sleepy and lethargic, and more like a little puppy, needy for attention than ever.  She would have to tone it down though, for Jemma.  She needed to check in on her, she couldn’t be sleeping all day.

Soft footfalls caught her ears and for a minute, she ignored them, thinking that her mother was up and about, walking around her room for something, but when the stairs creaked, Skye put the paper down.  She didn’t have to strain her hearing in the silence, and she heard the soft steps again and turned her head around to look towards the spiral staircase.  It had to be Jemma.  She could smell her now, but was very confused.  Jemma hadn’t come out of her room since she had gotten here and she wasn’t sure what had compelled her to do something now.  She wondered for a moment if something was wrong, but she stayed seated and waited patiently.  It would probably resolve itself on its own.  Jemma would probably go back upstairs…it was late for her and she needed to sleep.  The brunette turned her attention back to the newspaper, turning the page, but she kept her ears open for the sounds of her girlfriend.

Jemma was only halfway down the steps when she paused. She had only woken up a few minutes ago, though not from a nightmare. She didn't know why, she'd just suddenly stirred and laid in bed thinking for a few minutes. She couldn't stop thinking about how happy she'd been that day, and now that Skye was gone, something was missing. She could feel it all over the room, which she had cleaned up. The completed puzzle was still sitting whole on the floor. It usually took them a day or two to finally have the heart to take it apart and put it away.

It didn't take long for her to realize that what was missing was Skye. Spending so much time with her today had reminded her of breaks they spent together, and usually after whatever they'd done they'd cuddle up and go to sleep. Jemma was sure by now that all of this was real, it would have gone away by now if it had been an illusion. It was actually Skye downstairs, it'd been her taking care of her this whole time, even though Jemma had been scared to think it.

The stairs creaked beneath Jemma's feet as she shuffled down the rest of the spiral, poking her head around the corner. Skye was sitting on the couch reading the paper, but surely she would have heard her coming. Maybe she should just go back upstairs, she'd spent a large portion of the day with Skye and she didn't want to infringe on her personal space now. She wanted to so badly, though, she wanted to sit down with her and just sit comfortably with each other like they used to.

Before she could change her mind, Jemma came all the way out from behind the wall and shambled across the room, awkwardly going around the coffee table and sitting next to her girlfriend on the couch. She didn't sit on the other end like she'd been doing with the bed, she only left about twelve inches between them. Jemma knew she was stiff, but it was because she didn't know what exactly she was doing down here and what she wanted to do now that she had made it. She let her eyes wander around the room and took a deep breath. She wasn't that nervous, the house was the same as it always had been.

One of Skye's hands was sitting on the couch and Skye was looking at her with curiosity. Jemma wanted so badly to touch her, to reach out and grab her hand, but she kept remembering the sting of her skin the last time they'd touched what seemed like forever ago. Maybe it would be different now, she was feeling better than she had then.

Very, very slowly, Jemma slid her hand across the cushion until it was right next to Skye's, and then she touched her. It was barely a touch with only one of her fingers, but it was a test. It didn't burn, it just felt pleasantly warm, and the tense muscles in Jemma's shoulders and neck relaxed. She leaned back into the cushion beside Skye and finally hooked their pinkies together. She stared down at their hands, complete relief on her face. She hadn't had any physical contact in so long, this felt entirely new, but completely familiar.

Skye stiffened a little when she had heard Jemma come all the way down the stairs.  By the time she heard her by the couch she had stopped reading the paper all together and just stared at it blankly, not sure if she should look up.  If she did, she might disturb the moment, and whatever Jemma was doing, it was different.  The brunette was surprised she had come all the way down the stairs, and even more so when the girl sat down next to her, closer than they had been sitting before.

Slowly, as if she wasn’t sure what would startle the girl out of whatever sweet dream this happened to be, she set the paper down, closed, on her lap.  Turning her head only slightly, she glanced at Jemma and inhaled sharply when the girl connected their pinkies together.  She wasn’t shying away and a smile quickly crept its way over Skye’s face.  She was still careful not to move too quickly.  Like a rabbit, Jemma might bolt away at any moment, and Skye didn’t want that.

She was letting her touch her.  In fact, she had initiated it.  Skye could hardly contain herself, but she needed to.  She wanted to grab her whole hand.  She wanted to scoop Jemma into her arms and hold her tightly.  She wanted to kiss her face and tell her it was going to be okay.  She was getting better and she was so happy.  She didn’t say anything though.  The brunette just let them be, sitting there on the couch in the quiet.  Talking might shatter whatever this was and Skye wanted it to last as long as possible.  She did gently let her pinky squeeze back against Jemma’s, just a little bit, to show her that it was alright.  Skye knew the silly smile on her face would also let her girlfriend know she was enjoying it, and happy, and very grateful.  Skye had thought the puzzle today would be her highlight, but she had to rethink it.  Jemma making such progress today was wonderful, but finally having her touch again, even if it was just  a little bit, was much better than any silly puzzle.

When Jemma finally risked a glance at her girlfriend, she was a little shocked to see just how happy the brunette seemed to be. The little squeeze Skye had given her back assured her that Skye was alright with this, but she hadn't expected such an intensely positive reaction. This whole time she'd been trying to please Skye, like when she first took the potion and started eating and sleeping, but all of those moments combined had nothing on how thrilled Skye looked right now.

This was making Jemma happy, it made Skye happy. Jemma couldn't help that she was tired, it was late in the night, but she didn't want to end this and go back up to bed. Maybe Skye wouldn't mind if she stayed here though, even if it was Skye's new space after she'd given up her room. She kept nodding off, her eyes would close and her head would fall forward, abruptly waking her. She couldn't spend the whole night like this, she didn't understand how Skye did it continually near the full moon. If she was going to sleep here, she needed to lie down, and she didn't know if Skye would mind it. It didn't seem like she would, she already looked so satisfied by just one little touch, it would probably only please her even more if Jemma cuddled up with her like they used to.

She watched Skye's face as she moved the paper from the girl's lap to the armrest, gauging her reaction and searching for any sign of annoyance, but there was none. Slowly, Jemma eased herself onto her side and let her head rest on Skye's legs. Now at peace, it hardly took any time at all for Jemma's eyelids to fall and for her to drift off, feeling a strong sense of joy and contentment.

Skye sighed happily, letting her head rest back against the couch as she looked at the sleeping girl down in her lap.  This was a big step.  It had to be.  Two weeks ago Jemma wouldn’t let her touch her, and now she was voluntarily doing just that.  It did make Skye very happy, and as far as she could tell, Jemma was happy too.  Happy enough to not want to leave and go back upstairs even.  That had to be something.

She was too afraid to move though.  She wanted Jemma to stay here with her and sleep, though she knew it mustn’t be very comfortable at all.  Skye knew the couch wasn’t the best bed in the house, but it was what was left over.  Sure, they could afford a new guest bedroom now.  Probably an entire new house, but Jiaying had refused to take any of her daughter’s money.  Instead, they had invested some and then put the rest safely in the vault at Gringots.  Skye would need it someday, for whatever she was going to do with her life and her mother didn’t want her to jeopardize that for a nice house.  Besides, they liked the house as it was.

The brunette did manage, with great effort, to reach a blanket down on the floor next to the couch, which she gently set over Jemma so that the girl wouldn’t get cold.  Skye was hot all the time now, and she knew that she didn’t need the blanket, but her girlfriend didn’t have her internal temperature set to max.  It took several more minutes before Skye decided to move again.  She wanted to hold Jemma.  She wanted to wrap an arm around her and keep her close and protect her through the night…but she didn’t know if Jemma would like that.  Even if she was asleep.

She decided to test it.  Slowly, cautiously, Skye lifted her arm up and gently lowered it down, resting a hand lightly on Jemma’s shoulder first.  When the girl didn’t stir, she moved a little more, and adjusted herself against the smaller girl till her arm was wrapped around her waist over the blanket.  It made Skye sigh and a slow, soft grin crept over her face.  It was almost perfect, but it was close enough that Skye knew to appreciate it.  She held Jemma lightly and leaned her head back again and shut her eyes, listening to the calming sounds of her girlfriend’s breathing and her heart rate to lull her into as close to a sleep state as she could manage.


	9. Sonorus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters for the wait of one!  
> Happy Halloween Month lol

It had been a week since the first night Jemma had come downstairs, and now she rarely went back up to Skye’s room, instead choosing to stay where she could watch what Skye and Jiaying were doing throughout the day and occasionally talk to them. She still went into the bedroom when Skye was there, they were doing puzzles on almost a daily basis after Skye’s afternoon runs when she had enough patience to sit and help Jemma put them together. They probably helped the potion in strengthening Jemma’s mind again, as well as the added bonus that it was fun. She did them by herself too, when she was bored. Usually she could find a way to entertain herself, but sometimes she still found herself staring off into space or out a window or something.

            Skye was currently out in the forest, where she’d been going more and more often now that Jemma was getting a little better and the full moon was closer. In a few days she would be transforming into her wolf form for the night, but Jemma hadn’t really thought about it. She was getting relatively bored, which hadn’t happened in a while, but she didn’t know where Jiaying was at the moment. It was likely that the older woman was out in the garden.

            Jemma sighed and got up from the couch, carrying the valentine’s day stuffed bear along with her outside. She’d had it on her for the entire week, she never put it down. It was comforting, and neither Skye or Jiaying was about to take it from her. Jemma found a nice spot in the grass to sit and wait for Skye to get back so she could get out a puzzle. The bear was sitting in her lap when Jemma heard a familiar screech in the air above her.

            “Strigi.” Jemma grinned. She hadn’t actually seen the bird recently, and it was good to see he was healthy and happy now that he was back with Archi unless he was delivering mail. Jemma didn’t mind that Skye and Jiaying used him to deliver, Archi would have needed her owl’s help even if they sent him.  When the red barn owl saw his owner outside instead of locked up inside, a happy sound jumped from his beak and he landed on the ground next to her instead of going to the letter he was holding was actually addressed to. It was meant for Jiaying, but Jemma didn’t know that.

            “Hi, baby boy, how have you been?” Jemma scratched the feathers on his soft belly and Strigi’s eyes shut happily as he ruffled up his feathers and allowed Jemma to continue giving him attention. She picked up the letter and looked at the envelope, but she still couldn’t read the words on it. She definitely recognized the penmanship, though, it belonged to her mother. Reality suddenly struck her in the chest. She hadn’t even thought about her parents, or school, or anything other than where she was. It made her happy to know that her parents were writing, though. She tore open the envelope with hope, but her heart sunk to her stomach. She still couldn’t read the letter, her mother’s fancy cursive writing was even worse than the text in her books. Disappointment flooded her systems and she ignored her owl, who had started to nuzzle her with his head.

            “Skye!” Jemma called out happily when she saw the other girl finally emerge from the treeline. Skye would read it to her, if she asked, she knew she would. It would be really nice to hear what her mother had sent, she was more than excited. Snatching the bear up off the ground, Jemma walked out towards the trees and met Skye halfway while she was still jogging back to the house. Strigi gave up on vying for her attentions and chose to go find his own companion instead.

            “Can you tell me what this says? It’s from Mum.” Jemma asked before Skye even caught her breath. The wolf girl smelled like dirt and sweat and a little bit of dead animal, and it made Jemma’s nose scrunch up, but she thrust her hand out towards Skye with the letter in it anyway. One arm had the bear held tightly against her abdomen while the other was still held out towards Skye, waiting for her to calm down and take the letter from her.

            Skye came out of the woods to a pleasant sight.  Jemma had been doing more and more and Skye was happy to watch her progress as her girlfriend progressively got better and better.  It made her heart happy and her entire being alive with hope that one day soon Jemma would be back to normal, or as close as reality would allow, anyway.  She was glad to see Jemma out and about, especially outside.  The fresh air would do her good.  She had been out a few times before, but never on her own like this.  This was a new first, and Skye would have to mark it down in the secret progress log she kept under the couch.

The brunette hadn’t even fully stopped when Jemma was already upon her, hand out with a letter.  The wolf girl was leaned over, hands on her knees bracing herself up as she tried to breathe evenly.  Her ponytail was dripping and she knew that if she didn’t get inside and wash off soon she may catch a cold.  It was almost freezing out and her hot wolf’s blood kept her warm, but as sweaty as she was she might accidentally freeze to death.  She did freeze though, when she looked up at Jemma, still doubled over trying to catch her breath when she heard who the letter was from.

Skye straightened herself up quickly and forced a smile, although she was worried about the contents of the letter.  She needed to just be thankful that Jemma still couldn’t read, and that Strigi hadn’t delivered it to her mother.

“Absolutely, Jems,” She took the paper with shaky hands.  Hopefully Jemma would attribute it to having been running for the past few hours and not how nervous she was to read the actual letter.  She unfolded it and took a look at the first line.

_Dear Jiaying, I am not sure if you received our most recent letter, as when we went to the wizarding hospital you were supposed to transfer Jemma to, we were informed she is not a resident there and that you had never brought her in._  “Uhm…Dear Jemma,” Skye started, clearing her throat, trying to think of a good letter that her parents would write.

“Jiaying has kindly been sending us updates on your progress and we are so very proud and relieved to hear that you are doing well under her care.”   _We don’t want to assume you simply failed to send her there, as an owl mail delivery system does not seem very reliable and our first letter may have gotten lost.  It is important that you do move our daughter as soon as possible, every day she spends without the care of trained professionals could be detrimental to her mental health._

Skye had a hard time not gritting her teeth together, so instead she forced an even wider smile as she continued to work her way through the letter, “We hope that you continue to strengthen your mind and overcome this tragedy.  We are glad that you have a wonderful support system,” Skye snorted at the lie and covered it by pretending to sneeze.   _We also request that while Jemma is being treated, only her family members come to visit her, to minimize social stress.  As a reminder, though Jemma is eighteen years old and technically an adult, if she is mentally ill we are still responsible for her and have custody._

Skye was finding it harder to restrain herself by the minute but she quickly made up an ending to their sweet fake letter to Jemma.  She hated to do it to her, but if Jemma knew her parents wanted her in a mental hospital, Skye didn’t know what she would do.  “Your father and I are very proud of you and know that you will soon return to the brilliant girl you are.  We love and miss you, Love Mum,” Skye finished quickly.   _If Jemma is not checked into the hospital within the week, we will be contacting authorities from the ministry to deal with this issue.  Sincerely, Mrs. Simmons._

Skye hastily folded the letter up and shoved it into the back of her shorts and pulled her shirt down over it.  She would have to think of a way to get rid of it later.  “Wasn’t that sweet of them Jems,” Skye held her arm out for Jemma to grab so she could escort them back inside.

“Let’s take Mr. Bear and go back inside before we catch a cold okay? I need to shower but then we can do a new puzzle.  I think mom bought one the other day when she went to the store,” Skye smiled to her girlfriend, trying to hide the fact that she was seething on the inside.  Jemma's mother really did have some nerve.  She could see right past her passive aggressive bull shit.  They just didn’t understand that this was the best place for Jemma.

 

_________________

 

Skye was still in the shower, and Jemma was eagerly waiting for her to finish so they could start the new puzzle Jiaying had gotten her. It had five thousand pieces and it would probably last them a few days, so Jemma was excited for the challenge. No matter how excited she was, though, she wouldn't start it without her girlfriend. Puzzles were their thing, and Jemma looked forward to it most each day just because she and Skye were happily doing something normal.  
            Jemma was bored of waiting, though. Before, boredom was rarely an issue for her, and now she was feeling it quite regularly. It made her anxious and jittery.  The stack of books that Skye had neatly stacked after her fit over a week ago caught her eye. They were taunting her; she wanted nothing more than to read them. A very bad idea breached the walls of her mind, and she walked over to her books as if she was in a trance. She'd already tried and failed to read her mother's letter less than an hour ago, but she still felt the compelling need to try again. Her favorite book was still on top of the stack, where Skye had put it after reading last night.

Tentative hands picked it up and Jemma walked back to the bed, stepping around completed jigsaw puzzles still lying on the ground. It took a few seconds to get comfortable with her legs crossed on the bed, it reminded her of the first three days she sat in this very place being miserable. So much had changed since then. She wasn't like she used to be, she was far from it, and she knew this, but she was getting there. Take it one day at a time, Jiaying always told her.  
            Jemma flipped open the book and started where Skye had left the bookmark, but the words were still flipped and out of order. Frustration already began bubbling up again and Jemma tossed the still open book onto the mattress beside her before she got too worked up and broke something again. She threw a side glare at it, like it was an actual person and had offended her, but her eyes widened when she read one sentence with clarity. Jemma snatched the book back up again, but when she tried a second time it was still impossible. What had changed?  
            Just to test, to try it out, Jemma slowly turned the book sideways. The words came into focus and the letters stopped rearranging themselves. An excited gasp filled the room as the girl turned the book again until it was upside-down. Everything fell into place. The words were facing the wrong direction, but Jemma could tell what they said like this. She instantly began reading from right to left, starting at the bottom of the page, a huge grin on her face as she read for the first time in almost a month.

It was close to a half hour before Skye turned the water off and made sure to dry off as much as possible.  She had brought her spare clothes in the bathroom with her.  She wasn’t sure, at this point, that Jemma would appreciate looking at her in nothing more than a towel.  Things were complicated and she didn’t want to remind the girl of any certain...pressures.  So she changed into a sweatshirt and some comfortable shorts.  Her hair she would let dry on its own since she was too lazy now to try and blow dry it...and Jemma was waiting for her.  
            As far as the letter was concerned, Skye had snuck her wallet into the bathroom with her and once the water was running, she had burnt it with an _incendio_ spell, making sure to whisper.  She had dropped the ashes into the toilet and flushed them away.  Very appropriate in her opinion.  She would continue to take care of any other letters that came her way...she wasn’t sure what to do about Jemma’s mother’s threat to go to the ministry, but she would do her best to deal with that too when the time came.  
            Skye came out of the bathroom with a smile, expecting to see her hard at work on the puzzle already, but when she wasn’t the brunette was confused.  Until she saw her sitting on the bed with a book.  Her eyes widened and her heart swelled for a moment, a large grin on her face as she walked over.  Jemma was reading!  She looked just like she used to during the summer, sitting on Skye’s bed with her face in a book.  It wasn’t until she got closer that her smile faded and her heart sank just as fast as her hopes had previously risen.  The book was upside down.  The image had been so deceiving.  Jemma looked so happy and Skye could even see her eyes go along with the page, but she didn’t understand.    
            “Jemma...uhm, whatcha doing there?” She asked cautiously.  She hated to disturb her trance, even if her girlfriend seemed to be enjoying herself, but it couldn’t be healthy to let her keep trying to read like that.  Skye wasn’t sure what else to do other than try and distract her with a puzzle as soon as possible.  At least that allowed her mind and hands to stay busy.

"Oh! Hello, Skye. I'm reading." The brunette had surprised Jemma, she'd been so engrossed in the book that she hadn't heard the water turn off or noticed Skye come into the room. This was incredible news, and she couldn't wait to see how happy Skye would be to see that she'd finally figured out how to read, but when she looked up, the grin dropped off her face. Her girlfriend had that look again, the one she recognized from the beginning where Skye was upset by what she was doing, but she wouldn't tell her what she wanted.

"I-I fixed it." Jemma said uncertainly, tapping the page with a finger to exaggerate her words. "The books aren't wrong anymore." It felt like she was trying to convince Skye, and it made her stomach turn over. She had to prove it, she had to make that sad look on Skye's face go away. Jemma jumped up from the bed and walked over to her books, taking a few off the top  and bringing them back over to her spot. She didn't sit on the bed, though, she started pacing back and forth across the room around the puzzles. She opened her history textbook on one arm, upside-down, and read a few lines out of it, running her finger right to left across the page.

"I fixed it." She repeated again, desperately trying to change the expression on her girlfriend's face to a happy one. She'd been trying so, so hard to get better. She hadn't seen that look in a while, and she didn't ever want to see it again. She wanted Skye to be proud of her.

Skye wasn’t sure what to think, even as Jemma paced and read from the book, what sounded like would come from a history book, she wasn’t sure.  For all she knew, her girlfriend had probably read these books so many times she had them memorized.  The thought almost made her laugh.  That did seem like something Jemma would be capable of.  Desperate to believe though, she closed the gap between them with a few steps, hopeful.  
            “May I?” The brunette asked quietly, holding her hand out for the book, which Jemma gave to her eagerly.  She knew the girl wanted to prove that she could read, that she really had fixed the issue, but she was reading the book upside down.  Skye wasn’t sure if that had really fixed the problem, or had just created another one that they would need to deal with.  Her eyes scanned down to where she had seen Jemma read from, and put her finger on the line.  It was difficult to read backwards, and her brow rose in confusion, even as she figured out all the words.  Jemma had read it, and easily, albeit backwards and upside down.  It was a step.  It was a weird step, but it had happened.  She had a new outlet for herself now.  Skye knew how frustrated she had been before.   _Thank goodness she didn’t turn her mother’s letter upside down…_  
            Skye closed the book and sat it on the bed with a sigh, but when she looked at Jemma her smile had come back.  It was a small one, but as she thought about it, it grew a little wider.  “That’s great, Jems.  I’m so glad you figured it out.  You were so frustrated before, I’m happy you can read again,” She wanted to hug her, and though they had been managing to touch more and more and be ok, Skye wasn’t sure still how much touching she was allowed to do.  She would continue to wait for Jemma to initiate new things, so as not to make her uncomfortable, but she did take one of her hands and hold it gently, giving a quick reassuring squeeze.  
            “So...does this mean that you can read out loud tonight instead of me?  I’m pretty sure I’m butchering all the names in your favorite book,” Skye chuckled.

Instant relief fell over Jemma when Skye checked what she'd read and it was correct. She'd not only wanted Skye to realize her accomplishment, but she was also a little worried she wasn't actually reading at all and only thinking what she knew belonged there.

"You were, I was correcting them in my head the whole time." She grinned, intertwining their fingers. She wanted to keep reading, but it wasn't really a group activity and she wanted to spend her time with Skye. "I can read any time, let's start the new puzzle." She smiled and put down all the books, grabbing the larger box off the desk. The five thousand piece monster of a puzzle would definitely be a challenge, especially for Skye, who was seeming to get more and more energized and less and less able to sit there with her for long.

The rational part of Jemma knew it was because only a few days remained until the full moon, but the damaged part of her didn't like to think about Skye's werewolf form, especially not after Cal. She almost associated wolves with this whole thing, she'd done a lot of chasing Skye and found her when she was a werewolf, only to be attacked later that same night by the wolf version of Skye's father. There was still a light scar on her calf in the shape of wolf's jaws. Jiaying had let it heal naturally, no one was going to risk scaring Jemma by pointing their wands at her.

Jemma looked around her, but most of the floor was already covered in varying images disturbed by the lines on the edges of each piece. The new one was an aerial view of a pond full of lily pads and frogs, and it would take up much more space than they had. It made her a little sad to do it, but she got to work putting away a few of the puzzles. They couldn't keep them left about forever anyway, and eventually they were going to want to do them again.  
            Once there was an adequate amount of space, Jemma dumped out the box of pieces and jumped into their regular process, Jemma rapidly put it together, adding in chunks that Skye created. It was a good day, and both girls knew Jemma was well on her way to getting better.

  
_______________  
  


It was dark out again, and Jemma woke in a cold sweat, jolting into a sitting position and gasping for breath. She hadn't had a nightmare in a week, but it had probably been because she'd been sleeping on Skye's lap on the couch. It was the first night she spent alone since the first time she wandered downstairs on her own. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay downstairs with Skye, reading books while her girlfriend either read the paper or watched her, she just couldn't take the couch anymore, it made her sore. She didn't know how the wolf girl could stand it.

When Jemma rolled over and reached out, it took a moment for her to realize that Skye wasn't there and still slept downstairs. She wanted to go back down, but she felt like she was being really clingy, and she was keeping Skye from her sleep. The look on the brunette's face was always happy when she came down, though, and it didn't look fake. All she knew now was that she wanted Skye after her nightmare.

It hardly took any time at all for Jemma to make her final decision and she grabbed Mr. Bear, wandered out into the hall, and down the spiral staircase. The wood creaked beneath her feet and she knew Skye would hear her coming. Sure enough, the brunette was watching the steps when she made it to the bottom, but Jemma stopped instead of going all the way to the side of the couch.

"Bad dream," she muttered quietly. She was almost tethered to the wall, she wanted so badly to go to Skye, but the nervousness about the question she was about to ask held her back.

"Will you...uhm, would you...do you want to come back to bed?" She asked tentatively, clutching the stuffed animal to her chest and leaning against the wall.

Skye had only been a little sad when Jemma had said good night a few hours before and they had separated, herself to the couch and the smaller girl upstairs.  Jemma had been staying up later and later with her and falling asleep downstairs with her head on Skye’s lap, which Skye didn’t mind at all.  She wasn’t sleeping much now that the moon was almost at hand and she knew that her girlfriend would be tired and needed more sleep than she was getting downstairs.  So she had let her go upstairs to rest.  She hadn’t expected her to come down tonight.

The brunette had been too absorbed in reading the paper again to listen for Jemma.  She had been doing so well, Skye didn’t think that she would need to keep a 24/7 watch on her like before.  She had missed the tossing and turning and elevated heartbeat of Jemma’s nightmare, but the creak of the stairs had caught her ear.

She was honestly more stunned at the question than at the girl being awake.  On some level she had expected it, because it had been happening for a week, but as usual, she was very happy to see her.  Skye had just been caught off guard.  She wanted to help with Jemma’s nightmares.  She wanted to make them go away, to hold her and tell her that it would be alright, but she was still fuzzy on where their physical relationship stood, even though Jemma was getting more and more touchy feely like she had used to be.  So, she was pleasantly surprised, and a little concerned.  
            “Like...like upstairs with you?  In my bed?” She clarified quietly, not wanting to wake her mother in the other room, who she actually had been hearing snoring for the past hour or so.  She watched her girlfriend give a small nod and cling to that stuffed bear.  It was adorable and Skye couldn’t help but smile, “If that’s what you want, Jems.  Absolutely, I’d love to.  Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?” Skye asked as she put the newspaper down and quickly came around the couch and crossed the distance to the stairs, standing just a few steps under Jemma.

"I want to go to bed." Jemma sighed, not being able to resist any longer once Skye was so close. Moving forward and closing the distance between them, Jemma threw her arms around Skye's neck and held her close, pressing her face into her hair and taking a deep breath. All the worries and anxiety from her bad dream instantly flooded away and were replaced by Skye's warmth. She only stayed there for a few seconds before she pulled away and reached for Skye's hands instead, using them to pull her girlfriend up the steps with no resistance.

There was already a path made through the puzzles from the bedroom door to the bed, and it was only slightly altered by the new one they'd started that day. Jemma climbed into bed on the side closest to the wall, she'd gotten used to their switch over the summer and it became habit. Skye hesitantly laid down on the very edge of the bed, trying to give Jemma as much space as possible. While the smaller girl appreciated the hesitant act of respect for her wishes, what Jemma wanted now was what they used to have. She grabbed at Skye's shirt and a small whine escaped out into the room. Her face was suddenly pressed into the crook of Skye's neck and she pressed herself as tightly against the taller girl as possible.

Her heart was racing.  Skye was very surprised, to say the least.  She certainly hadn’t expected this much of Jemma all at once.  It was like a sensory overload, and although she was glad that the smaller girl was willing to cuddle like this again, at least for sleeping, the brunette couldn’t focus.  Her breaths had already quickened and it felt like her skin was on fire.  Any moment now she was going to start sweating, and she wasn’t even moving.

            Jemma’s sweet little noise echoed around in her skull, bouncing off the walls and rattling her brain, causing other similar sounds to float around in her imagination.  Skye had to clear her throat before she readjusted her chin on top of Jemma’s head.  She could smell her hair.  She had missed being this close.  She wanted to kiss it, so she did.  She didn’t think Jemma would mind a little reassurance that Skye did enjoy this and it made her happy.  Except she also wanted to take a fist full of it and pull Jemma’s head back and— _Shit._

            Skye tried to make herself comfortable, so she threw an arm around Jemma’s waist and held her close like they used to do.  She assumed that’s what the girl wanted by calling her up here and then snuggling so close.  She could feel almost every inch of her pressed against her body.  It reminded the brunette of two jigsaw pieces that fit perfectly together.  She was itching to move, but not in the ways Jemma probably wanted.  Her hand was already starting to fidget and she had to keep it from wandering.

            A familiar feeling was creeping up her spine and Skye unconsciously pulled the smaller girl in a little closer.  Her blood was racing and it was pounding in her ears.  It was the night before the full moon and she wanted to do anything _but_ lay still.  She couldn’t handle it.  She couldn’t stop it.  She had only been laying here for five minutes but it already felt like hours and it was driving her crazy.  Skye felt the switch in her head turn on and the beginning of a coil in her abdomen.   _Shit, shit, shit…_  She didn’t want to leave.   She wanted to stay and cuddle with Jemma like she wanted, to keep her safe through the night and not let her have any more nightmares…but it was horrible timing for her to suddenly desire so much physical contact.

            She felt the tingle in her nerves as her eyes shifted colors instinctively.  She couldn’t help it, and she really wished she could. _Fuck_.  Skye squeezed her eyes shut and she groaned, shaking her head.  She had to push Jemma away, and fast.  She regretted the loss of contact, but she couldn’t lay here.  It wouldn’t be fair to Jemma and she needed to go jump into a frozen lake to calm down.  Another run.  It would have to work.  It _needed_ to work.

            “I-I’m sorry, Jems…I can’t tonight.  I-I…” Skye sat up and got out of bed, only opening her eyes when she knew she wasn’t facing Jemma.  She couldn’t afford to have her look at them and get caught.  Everything would be even more fucked up than it already was, and Skye couldn’t handle that.

            “I want to…I really, _really_ want to.  I just c-can’t.  Too much energy…I-I’m sorry,” the wolf girl stammered and snatched a hoodie from the end of the bed, bright blue eyes shining in the dark.  She didn’t stay for an answer, and instead was already out of the room, door shut behind her and running down the stairs.  She kept running, right out the front door.  She didn’t even put on her shoes.  Skye didn’t stop to turn and look back at the house till she was midway through the tall grass field.  She felt awful for leaving Jemma, especially when she had made such a huge new step…but she knew she would feel a lot worse than awful if she had stayed and been unable to contain herself.  She needed to find that lake.

Jemma didn't say anything, she didn't do anything. She'd been nervous enough just asking Skye to come up to bed with her, and her nerve had just been ruined. The sting of rejection was more intense than what semblance of bravery she may have had to go after her. She knew Skye was fidgety around the full moon, but if that was it, she would have just told her so. She wouldn't have stuttered and stumbled and run away like there was some other reason if that was all.

The smaller girl curled in on herself on the bed, holding back tears, wondering why Skye had really left. Maybe she'd finally seen what Jemma had been all along: a needy, clingy, damaged mess. Skye wanted someone smart, someone like the old Jemma Simmons. All Jemma felt now was stupid.

She tried to go to sleep, to let her eyes shut and fall into unconsciousness, but she was terrified of the nightmares and she didn't want to be alone. Her girlfriend would be impossible to find now that she'd run into the woods, and she'd already proven that she wasn't going to stay with Jemma anyway.

The only other person in the house was Jiaying, but she wasn't Skye. After what had happened, Jemma wasn't sure that waking up Skye's mother was a good idea. If Skye didn't even stay with her, why would Jiaying? Of course, the woman had been nothing but kind to her this entire time and she had told her to come to her. _If you need anything at all, don't be afraid to ask,_ Jiaying had told her. Jiaying was basically Jemma's mother too, she wouldn't have been shy before. If Jemma went downstairs and asked to stay with her, the worst thing that would happen is that she'd have to come back here and be right where she was already. At the very least she could ask Jiaying to make her something to help with her bad dreams.

It was decided. Jemma put a stopper on her tears, grabbed the stuffed bear, and walked downstairs to spend the night with her second mother.

__________

The lake had been a good idea.  Her high body temperature had kept her warm enough jumping in, but the shock of it had still cleared her head pretty well.  Her eyes had gone back to normal almost instantly.  The thing was, after the initial shock was over, Skye realized she had to claw her way out of a frozen lake.  By the time she got to the bank she had been shivering, and that was saying something.  She didn’t get cold much anymore, but her polar plunge had done the job.

She had decided to run the chill off, and after fifteen to twenty minutes or so, she had stopped shaking.  A few hours after, it had begun to snow, and the wolf girl thought that was a good enough signal to go inside.  She already didn’t have shoes on and all she had on her legs were shorts.  Her hoodie kept the upper part of her body heated, but not enough, because by the time she got back to the porch, the ground and the house was littered with snow in the wee hours of the morning and Skye was shivering again.

That having been her night, she had piled herself under some blankets on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate, which she had made with milk and melted chocolate frogs.  It was the best kind, she found, and it helped to warm her up.  She couldn’t just jump into the shower.  She wasn’t sure she would be able to face Jemma this early in the morning after having left her all night.  Skye really hadn’t wanted to but she knew if she had stayed…she didn’t want to think about it.

By the time she did manage to get a warm shower she was broody.  Jemma had apparently gone to her mother after Skye seemingly abandoned her in the dark hours of the night.  What made her angry was that Jiaying had been willing to share the bed and keep Jemma’s nightmares at bay with a potion, despite having written to Jemma’s parents about wanting to send her to a hospital.  It felt like a bold faced betrayal.  Skye had been scolding herself all morning.  She should have been less needy.  She should have sucked it up and stayed, controlled herself, so that she could have snuggled with Jemma and kept her safe.  Instead she had fucked it all up.

Now, she was sitting all fidgety on the couch, the evening sky barely lit by the sun anymore, sniffing and blowing her nose with a tissue.  She actually wasn’t looking forward to going out tonight.  She had given herself a cold in her winter wonderland exploits and it pissed her off even more.  Jemma had been acting strange too, probably because she had left without a good explanation.  She had so much energy she wanted to get out now, but she felt so pent up that she couldn’t move.  Her mother was making her wait and it was driving her crazy.

“Alright, it’s ready now, all heated up for you.  Drink it slow,” Jiaying instructed, handing her a mug of a thick brown looking liquid.  Skye’s nose scrunched up immediately.  The wolfsbane potion tasted terrible.  It was literally the worst thing she had ever put into her mouth, but she knew if she added sugar, the potion wouldn’t work.  Having to drink it slowly was the worst part of it too.  Made the terrible flavor last for longer.

Skye took her first sip and her face contorted in disgust and she quickly put the mug down.  It felt good in her belly, almost calming down her cold.  It was almost perfect, if only it tasted good.  She had a few hours still before the moon was going to come out.  By that time she hoped she would be in the woods somewhere and already stripped down in the snow so she wouldn't have to worry about ripping up another pair of shoes or a sweater.  They had found out the hard way about her clothes having to come off.

“Thanks…” She mumbled and took another sip, making the same face as before and turned to stare out the window.  It had been snowing all day.  She had wanted to go out and play in it with Jemma, but with her being sick and Jemma acting so weird, she hadn’t asked.  Maybe the girl would feel better enough to at least walk her out to the tall grass tonight, like she used to do.  She didn’t have to watch, but Skye would come back and get pat on the head and scratched behind the ears.  She did enjoy that part at least.

Jemma's morning had definitely gone a lot better than Skye's, but she still wasn't very happy about it and a weird feeling had settled into her stomach whenever she thought about her girlfriend. After whatever had happened the night before, Jemma had gone to Jiaying for help and the woman welcomed her with open arms and even brewed a quick dream-stopping potion for her. It had been a little awkward at first, sharing a bed with her girlfriend's mother, but Jiaying had made it as comfortable for her as possible and it wasn't awful. The older woman had even stayed all night, and even into the morning until Jemma woke up, just so she wouldn't be frightened if she woke up and found herself alone.

If Jiaying hadn't been a motherly figure to Jemma before, she definitely was now. She was grateful for the company and even pleasantly surprised when she had been given her usual potion that morning and Jiaying had done something to make it taste better. All of it almost made up for Skye leaving, but not quite. She was still upset about that, she wanted to know the real reason Skye had gotten up and run away, but she was also too afraid to ask. What if her thoughts the previous night had been correct?

It took almost most of the day for Jemma to gather her courage and leave Jiaying's room, she knew Skye would have come home and she would most likely be in the living room. Even if she made a beeline for Skye's bedroom, she'd have to pass her. When she did leave Jiaying's room, she closed the door behind her quietly and stopped when she saw Skye and her mother in the living room. Skye was drinking what Jemma assumed to be wolfsbane potion. She knew the full moon was close, but she hadn't realized it was going to be that night. She didn't exactly keep track of the days any longer.

It didn't take very long at all for Jemma to notice how Skye's nose was pink and she had a box of tissues next to her. She was sick. Jemma felt concerned, but she really didn't know what to do about it. Skye would be just fine, it wasn't worth making an awkward approach when there was nothing she could really do anyway. Jiaying had that job pretty much covered, being the mother in the house and all.

Jemma gave her a few glances as she slunk across the room and toward the steps, which she ran up as soon as she was out of view. She didn't want to talk to Skye about it, she didn't want to talk to anyone about it. She wanted to read. And now that she could, nothing was going to stop her. She grabbed her favorite and sat down on Skye's bed, reading it for what had to be the third time since she started turning books upside down. Reading was her coping mechanism, but she didn't get so caught up in it that she forgot she would need to be downstairs again when the moon came up. She never missed Skye's transitions when she could help it and she wasn't about to start now, no matter how weird the current state of their relationship was. Jemma could very easily conjure up the look of pain on Skye's face during her transitions. She knew what that felt like, and maybe she wouldn't be so messed up right now if someone had been able to be there for her. She wouldn't miss it.

Jiaying had pretty much ordered her daughter to say seated on the couch and Skye begrudgingly did so, sipping at her terrible tasting drink and wrapping herself tighter into the blanket.  She felt like she was freezing, but she was also sweating at the same time.  It didn’t worry Jiaying too much.  Her daughter had caught a common cold before and the woman would have a potion prepared for the brunette in the morning.  She couldn’t take anything for it now though, since it would interfere with the wolfsbane potion.

When Skye had finally drank all of it, she didn’t feel any different.  It had startled her the first time because she had thought that she would feel different, more in control or something, but nothing had happened immediately.  She had been so afraid her mother and Jemma had mixed it wrong and that it wouldn’t work and she would end up hurting one of them.  Her mother was an excellent potions master though, and of course it had worked just fine.  Skye was less wary now.  Jiaying knew what she was doing.

The snow outside had actually picked up, and although Skye did think it was beautiful to watch, she really didn’t want to have to run around in it all night long.  She knew that her mother wouldn’t let her stay in the house.  She had learned that lesson the hard way over the summer when she had broken so many things, just by being such a large puppy dog.  She had tried not to be bothered by Jemma just rushing right back up the stairs, but Skye figured she was probably still upset about her having left.  She hoped the girl would at least come back down before it was time for the moon.

Jemma didn't use the lamp beside the bed for light to read, she relied on the window to keep time for her. As soon as the sun lowered so much that she had to strain her eyes even more than she already did to read the page, she knew it was almost time for Skye's transformation.

It took a lot of walking over to the door and then changing her mind and going back to the bed before Jemma realized she didn't have any more time to waste just trying to make up her mind when she already knew what she wanted to do. She threw open the door, frustrated with herself, and quickly made her way down the stairs before she was too late. Thankfully, Skye was still sitting on the couch, looking like a human.

She'd been in such a rush coming down that she hadn't really thought of what she wanted to say, so she didn't say anything at all, instead walking over to the couch and sitting down next to Skye. Hesitantly, to make sure her girlfriend didn't want to pull away, Jemma reached out and grabbed one of her hands. She still wasn't sure what had gone down between them the night before and though it made her anxious, that was the last thing they needed to be thinking about now. Jemma knew Skye wasn't looking forward to the transition, she could see it on her face.

"It-it'll be okay." Jemma squeezed Skye's hand comfortingly and glanced away from her own lap for just a moment to make eye contact with Skye and smile just a little bit to reassure her. For tonight, Jemma could forget about whatever her girlfriend had freaked out about last night. The wolf girl was going to need a lot of comforting before, during, and after her change, and Jemma was used to being the person to give it to her.

Some of Skye’s stress instantly faded when she saw Jemma come down the stairs and sit next to her.  She didn’t feel any less sick, but she felt more at ease and she was grateful for her girlfriend's hand in her own.  She squeezed it gently and smiled.  She was glad that she had come down to help her.  The brunette had been afraid she was going to miss it, but now she wondered if this would be something Jemma really wanted to see.

Skye knew she had stood there and watched, but that was before everything had happened.  The brunette didn’t want to startle the smaller girl and cause her to regress.  They had made so much progress before the wolf girl had jeopardized it the night before.  She had to say it.  She needed to know if Jemma was staying because she really wanted to, because she was ready, and not because she just felt obligated to.

“You uhm…you don’t have to watch this time, Jems, if you don’t want.  It’s not the most pleasant thing to watch.  I don’t…I don’t want to scare you on accident or anything, I don’t want you to feel like you’re obligated to be down here if you don’t want to be,” Skye asked hesitantly.  She squeezed Jemma’s hand gently, leaning towards her, her bottom lip between her teeth in question.  Skye knew she would have to go outside soon in the cold and prepare, but she wanted to make sure Jemma was absolutely certain first.

Jemma flicked her eyes up once more, but this time they landed on Skye's and held fast. Skye was offering to let her stay here instead of help her through the transitional process, even though Jemma knew it caused Skye pain and she much preferred her to be there. The brunette was willing to go through her full moon alone just so Jemma wouldn't get scared at all that night, and here she was doubting how much Skye really cared for her.

"I love you." Jemma said, her voice a little raspy from lack of speaking. "I want to help." It took courage Jemma was barely certain she had, but with her free hand she cupped Skye's cheek, running her thumb along the other girl's cheekbone softly. She felt the sudden urge to lean the rest of the way in and kiss her, but it had been so long, they hadn't been that intimate in months. Neither of them were very sure where they stood.

Jemma had just said she loved her for the first time since everything had happened, though. If she loved her, surely she could muster up the courage for just one kiss. She closed a few more of the inches between them, and the smaller girl inhaled sharply before carefully pressing her lips against Skye's, and only for a second. It was barely longer than a peck, but it was enough for Skye to understand just how serious she was about this. She pulled away and her eyes immediately went to Skye's face, searching every bit of it for a reaction. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Jiaying smiling widely at them. That didn't matter at the moment, though, only Skye did.

A state of excited shock washed over the brunette's face just merely at Jemma's declaration.  Skye knew she didn't say it often, only when she really, really, truly meant it, so to hear it now made her heart skip.  Jemma was serious.  Serious enough to let Skye know that she was going to be there for her tonight like Skye had tried to be there for her all these past weeks.  

The wolf girl would have been fine with just that, but the gentle touching of her cheek made her smile.  She certainly hadn't expected the smaller girl to kiss her.  She had been too afraid to do anything like this, or even bring it up.  The kiss was short, but it still left her breathless.  The brunette's face was blank, just out of sheer surprise and for a minute, Skye didn't know what to do with herself.  She felt confident.  She felt so much relief.  She felt happy.  Two big steps had just happened, one right after the other and it made Skye more than hopeful for Jemma's recovery.  She was absolutely getting better.

After the initial shock had passed through, the wolf girl's face lit up, happier yet than Jemma would have seen previously, even with all the other great strides she had made to get better.  This was the best one and Skye knew she would remember forever, above all the other ones.  Beaming, she took Jemma's hand from her cheek and squeezed it, bring it to her mouth before she kissed it very lightly.

"I love you too," she let Jemma have her hand back and just smiled at her, giddy, no longer nervous about the night to come, even if she had to run around in what was practically a blizzard.  "Thank you, Jemma," Skye continued to smile, and she caught her mother staring out the window out of the corner of her eye.  She hadn't noticed her own breathing had started to quicken, or another layer of sweat slide down her forehead.  Her heart was racing, and she thought at first it had been because of Jemma's kiss, and it partially had been, but she could feel herself getting restless and a spring build up in her belly.

"I think it's time, dear," Jiaying suggested and turned to look at the two of them on the couch.  "Jemma dear, you'll need a heavy coat if you're going out.  It's cold outside." Skye's mother moved to the door and opened it up as Skye slid off the couch and pulled the blankets off of her.  She wasn't looking forward to the initial chill of the wind and snow, but she knew her mother wasn't going to let her stay in the house with all her thrashing during her change.

Skye took another look at Jemma, a proud and brave smile on her lips, before taking off her sweatshirt and handing it to Jemma, "you can wear this one if you want," she offered and then moved over to the door.  She nodded to her mother and stepped outside.

"Holy shit it's freezing," Skye helped and began to rub her arms.  She wasn't even naked yet.  She wasn't looking forward to this but she knew that Jemma was going to help her.    
"The downside of being an outside dog," Jiaying chuckled and motioned for her daughter to hurry.  It wouldn't be long now.

Skye's face was less than pleased as she shakily pealed the tanktop off and handed it to her mother.  It was a little more embarrassing this time, being so cold and not having been naked in front of anyone in a long time, especially Jemma. She jumped out of her shorts and tossed them to her mother who stuffed them inside.

"Go on now, I don't want blood stains on my porch," Jiaying motioned for her to go out in the snow and Skye's face scrunched up, already beet red with embarrassment and from the cold.

"I-im g-going!" She shouted, shivering, and moved off the porch, walking out towards the start of the tall grass.  It was dark, and with the snow blowing about it was hard to see, but once she had reached the grass there was a loud, sudden yell, cut off midway, and the freezing brunette doubled over in the grass.  She had to keep quiet.  She didn't want to scare Jemma away, even though she knew the girl had said she was going to stay.  She had been through worse pain than this, and for longer.  What right did she have to cry out?  The howling of the wind covered up the sound of her bones breaking and moving, although some whimpering could be heard, carried in on the wind.

Jemma wore the sweater Skye had given her, relieved that Skye still loved her too and that everything was going as well as it could be, considering. Her cheeks reddened as soon as her girlfriend stripped in the cold out on the porch, but it could have also been from the bite of the wind on her cheeks. As soon as Skye first cried out, Jemma closed her eyes tightly and leaned into Jiaying, who had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close. Jemma winced for her girlfriend with every whimper, but she knew from past experience that Skye would be just fine in a minute or two and she'd get up, walk over, and wait to be petted and scratched.

It only took a few minutes for the awful sounds to quiet down and then stop all together, and when it did, Jemma didn't hesitate to peel herself away from Skye's mother and step off the porch. Skye was waiting for her out in the tall grass, and Jemma needed to get to her, she didn't care that Skye normally came back to the house for attention before dashing off into the woods. She stumbled over a large rock before she finally reached her girlfriend, who was getting up and stretching. Jemma hadn't remembered just how big Skye really was until the wolf stood up on her hind legs and howled instinctually. The loud noise made Jemma take a few hesitant steps back, a result of her own instincts, and Skye stopped immediately, lowering herself to Jemma's height, probably trying not to scare her.

It was hard already, but Jemma tried to swallow her fear. She couldn't help but think back to the times Skye had almost hurt her, of course that was when she didn't have the potion. It was clear that it was working now because her eyes were the same usual color of brown instead of the crazed, golden-yellow they were when Skye didn't have her human mind. The tall grass wasn't a big help either, it made Jemma remember the particularly gruesome, bloody night where she'd been chased and attacked by the black wolf. Jemma had to remember that the two wolves were different, though. That was Cal and this was Skye. She was with Skye, not Skye's father, and Skye would never hurt her.

"You're alright. I'll be here." Jemma whispered, reaching out with a flat palm. Skye was still, letting Jemma be the first one to make contact. It was at an agonizingly slow pace, but Jemma reached out, getting closer and closer, until she lightly laid her hand on Skye's forehead, rubbing softly. Once she was sure that everything was ok she slid her hand backwards over Skye's fur, scratching just behind her ear. "Do you want to go into the woods now?" Jemma asked, still scratching Skye, but with both hands. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder, nodding to signal to Jiaying that everything was alright.

Skye walked obediently at Jemma's side toward the tree line, earning her even more affection. It was easier for Jemma to connect with the wolf version of Skye, because she couldn't reply and it made it feel safer for her to express herself a little more, like having a dog, even though the next morning Skye would be back to normal.

Snow crunched beneath Jemma's feet and a shiver ran up her spine. Although Skye's sweater had been warm at first from her body heat, the wind and snow quickly countered it and Jemma was cold again. The snow had also started falling at a more rapid rate, she looked behind her and it was getting difficult to actually see the house, only light signaled its location. She hadn't realized her teeth were chattering until Skye stopped and gave her a funny look. One arm stopped petting Skye and instead wrapped around herself, squeezing tightly. She wanted to keep going, take Skye all the way out like she used to, but suddenly the wind picked up and the light from the house was even dimmer. If she walked any further she wouldn't be able to find her way back, and her legs were already getting numb.

Skye's eyes were better than Jemma's, especially in the dark, despite the blizzard.  She could see the light to the house just fine, but she could also see the concern on her girlfriend's face.  She was cold and shaking while the she wolf felt much better in her fur and high temperature.  She could no longer tell she had a bit of a cold, but she didn't know how she would feel after walking in the snow all night long.  She didn't want Jemma to catch a cold either, so the large wolf turned around and licked gently at Jemma's hand which was still in her reach.  

Skye gently pressed against her with her weight to help radiate some of her body heat into the girl to keep her warmer.  She nudged Jemma gently with her nose to turn around, letting her know it was ok to walk back.  The wolf girl had been so happy that Jemma had come to her and had walked her so far.  She could sense she had been scared in the beginning, and Skye was doing her best to be gentle, but she truly appreciated her girlfriend's effort.  She didn't feel like the monster she looked like.

The least she could do was walk Jemma back to the house.  She could stand the weather, but the still human girl could not, and so she made sure to keep herself pressed close against Jemma as she retraced their steps through the snow back to the edge of the tall grass.  To tell her girlfriend thank you, she nuzzled her head into Jemma's shoulder and whined happily.

"Come on inside, Jemma.  Skye will be fine. She has thick fur, you don't.  I don't need two of you with a cold in my house," Jiaying waved from the porch for the girl to come back inside.  Skye sat down, almost like a properly behaved dog, and waited patiently for Jemma to reach the house.  Knowing she was safe and warm back inside, Skye gave a brief goodbye howl before turning tail and dashing off into the darkness.

Jemma had to look behind her and make sure Skye really was fine before she came inside and let Jiaying drape a thick blanket over her shoulders and lead her to the couch. The older woman brought Jemma a few books and a thermos of hot tea to keep her warm and entertained until she managed to fall asleep. Jemma took Skye's role of sitting and waiting, occasionally with the company of Jiaying, but eventually she did doze off, head on the armrest and arm hanging off the cushion, book in hand.  
  
________________  
  
            Both Jiaying and Jemma received a rude awakening in the morning. Someone was harshly knocking on the front door, and the rapping sound startled Jemma so badly that she shot up from the couch and knocked over her tea, spilling the remaining contents all over the floor.

"Jiaying!" She called to make sure the older woman was awake. She didn't want to answer the door herself, so she rushed to Skye's mother's room, barreling into the woman on accident. Jemma flinched and jumped back, nervous because she'd made a mess and could have accidentally hurt her, but Jiaying simply put a comforting hand on her shoulder and ushered her into the bedroom to wait. It wasn't often they received visitors this far out into the middle of nowhere, so it was unexpected and the worst case scenario suddenly started running through Jemma's head. Cal had Death Eater friends, not all of them could have been captured, maybe some of them were back. The curtains on the window were open in a flash and Jemma was scanning for Skye returning home, but when she didn't see anything she yanked them shut again and sat down on the bed, nervously wringing out her hands in her lap and listening intently to whatever was going on in the living room.

Jiaying made sure that Jemma was safe in her bedroom before she grabbed her wand and shut the door.  After casting a quick spell over the door, just in case, the older woman finished doing up her robe before she hid her wand up her sleeve.  She rushed to the door, which was now, at this point, being knocked on loudly again.  The woman composed herself and tried to make sure her face didn't look nearly as annoyed as she was, before she opened the door.  

To her surprise, she was confronted by two well dressed men.  The one behind cleared his throat and the man in front, who seemed to be middle aged or a bit older straightened his suit and and nodded to Jiaying, holding his hand out before introducing himself.

"Officer Garrett from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement from the Ministry.  This is my fellow officer, Officer Sitwell."

Jiaying shook their hands, still confused but relieved that they were from the Ministry and not her late husband's accomplices come to finish what they had started.  "Jiaying Johnson, can I help you?" She asked, withdrawing her hand and crossing her arms over her chest.  She still had not let them into the house.

"Yes, Mrs. Johnson, you can.  We have had a complaint filed against you which warrants an investigation.  We just need to ask you a few questions.  We also have a warrant to search the premises should you be inclined not to cooperate," Officer Grant smiled, and Jiaying found she did not like the look of him.  She thought him the type to know he had the power and was going to flaunt it about.  Very rude.

"Yes, of course gentlemen, come in," Jiaying begrudgingly opened up the door wider for them to come in.  "Please, have a seat on the couch, would you like some tea?" She had already moved into the kitchen to try and tolerate playing hostess when they followed her in.

"We prefer to stand, ma'am.  We were led to believe you are holding the young adult Jemma Simmons in your home.  Her parents informed us that she is of a compromised mental state, and that being said, she is, by law, not eligible to make her own decisions.  Custody is to be returned to her parents so that she can be delivered to a mental facility for proper treatment.  The papers are all here," Garrett pulled a thick folded pile of paperwork from his suit and handed it to Jiaying, still smiling as he did so.  Officer Sitwell had taken to begin wandering about the house, which Jiaying did not take kindly too.  "Pending my and Officer Sitwell's examination of course.  If she proves to be mentally competent then we will be more than happy to leave in peace."

Jiaying sighed, all the papers were, indeed, in order and the older woman was fuming on the inside.  She had thought the letter from Jemma's mother had been a bit too civil, and now she knew she was right.  Her daughter must have somehow intercepted one of the letters at some point and saw fit to take matters into her own hands.  Jiaying was furious, but she couldn't blame her, not with her parentage.  "Jemma, dear, it is alright, will you please come out?" Jiaying called and moved into the living room, "There are some men from the Ministry of Magic who would like to talk to you."

Jemma didn't want to come out. She was terrified, she'd heard the whole conversation, the house didn't exactly have thick walls. They wanted to "examine" her, and if she wasn't as mentally perfect as they wanted, they had the legal power to drag her out of here kicking and screaming. Jemma took a deep breath to compose herself and reached for the doorknob, but a sudden realization hit her. They wouldn't come here just because they heard Jemma was mentally ill. It slowly dawned on her and the earlier words of the men from the ministry somehow made sense, even though they didn't. They said her parents had filed a complaint and made this happen? It couldn't be, her parents knew she was getting better and they were happy she was here.

Jemma eyes widened and a dangerous mix of rage and betrayal clouded her mind. She remembered it was a little funny the way Skye had acted when she read that letter, and then the way she tucked it away afterwards so it would never be seen again. Jemma had no idea what was written in that letter, but she knew it couldn't be good and tears were brimming in her eyes, because Skye had lied to her and her parents wanted her in a mental hospital. They thought she was crazy and Skye thought she was gullible enough to believe such bullshit. The worst part of it all was that they were both right.

That didn't matter right now though, Jemma couldn't react. She had go out there and pretend everything was normal and she wasn't sick in the head at all. She had to prove she was under control when all she wanted to do was blow up. The door opened slowly, and Jemma cautiously wandered out of it, swallowing her feelings completely.

"What's going on?" She asked innocently, like she didn't already know. It sounded fairly normal, she was doing a good job of hiding her fear and her anger. "Is Skye back yet?" She asked curiously. Honestly, her girlfriend was the last person she wanted to see right now, but she was trying to sound like it was just a normal morning and Skye was out running, and that she wasn't absolutely, one hundred percent terrified that she would be moving into a padded cell that night.

The officers, who wouldn't sit before, now motioned for Jemma to take a seat on the couch to begin their "examination", or what Jemma felt was an interrogation.

"How do you feel? How are you?" One of them asked her, clearly trying to seem like he was being friendly and was concerned for her well being instead of assessing her mental health. This is where the hard part began. Jemma sat on the couch with her knees together, her hands in between them, so she could stay still and keep from fidgeting.

"Well..." Jemma searched her mind for something, anything. She was terrible at lying, this was not her forte. The only solution was to tell them the truth. "I'm a little tired, I was up late last night reading a book," Jemma said truthfully, making a point to make sure they knew she liked to read. "And it is still quite early in the morning." She said, gesturing to the window. The way she said it seemed harmless, but it was also obvious that she was insulting their choice of time to visit. She sounded perfectly sane, if she thought so herself. She didn't even stutter once. Jiaying looked impressed, and if the whole situation wasn't so messed up, she would have been happy.

"What did you read? Anything interesting?" He asked with an awfully fake smile on his face. Jemma glanced over to the small stack of books on the floor by the couch, and she was about to grab her favorite and show him, but she stopped. It was a children's book. It wasn't something very impressive that you would want to show someone to prove your intelligence. Under the officers' careful eyes, Jemma moved her favorite aside and picked up her history textbook. "I've been trying to keep up with school at least a little bit since I'm missing classes." Jemma gestured to the cover. The men from the ministry didn't seem satisfied by this answer, because they kept digging.

"Why aren't you going to class now?" This one had Jemma stuck. She already hated these people, she knew they were just trying to find a reason to take her away. "I, uh-" she stumbled over her words. She didn't really know the answer herself. She wasn't back in school because she wasn't ready, she was still recovering. But she was getting better, that was the point. "I'm getting better here." She said lamely.

"And what is it that you're getting better from?" He asked. Jemma's blood was boiling. The way he was asking questions, it was like he was tricking her into admitting she was crazy or something.

            “Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Jiaying interrupted, coming into the living room and setting a hand on Jemma’s shoulder.  “The point is to assess her mental state in the _present_ I presume?  So leave the past out of it,” the older woman glared pointedly at the two men and for the first time since they came in, the first officer’s smile faltered.  It didn’t last long, but it was enough that Jiaying caught it and knew that the officers would stay in line now.  There was no need to pry into things that were over and done.

Skye’s mother squeezed the young woman’s shoulder lightly and then took her leave again, satisfied that she had called down the antagonizing officer for a moment.

She kept one eye towards the living room though as she walked over towards the front door and opened the screen door, taking a step outside.  She scanned the horizon for her daughter and hoped the girl had enough sense to stay away from the house, at least while the ministry was present.  She doubted her daughter’s presence would go over well with them, especially since Jiaying figured Jemma’s parents had contacted them.  Skye had to be a problem child in there somewhere, no doubt about it.  She only minded a little that they didn’t like her daughter, but Jiaying loved Jemma like her own daughter, despite what her efforts the previous months leading up to everything might have suggested.

The older woman was furious with Skye for having taken things into her own hands.  She knew she had taught her daughter better than to go sneaking about.  Skye knew that she could go to her mother for anything.  Jiaying liked to keep an open house this way.  She found it healthy.  She thought it had paid off, but apparently not.  Jiaying had known that she couldn’t keep Jemma in her home, especially with her faculties compromised, at least not without Jemma’s parent’s permission.  She had wanted Jemma to stay just as much as Skye.  Jiaying knew she could help her, and the fact that she had made so much progress told her that, but even if Jemma was eighteen, she knew the law.  That’s why she had given the family many choices.  They must have chosen one Skye did not like, since she had very obviously tampered with the letter.

Perhaps it was cruel to make her daughter wait out in the cold, freezing, snowy woods all by herself for however long this took, but she had brought it on herself, in Jiaying’s opinion.  She could just wait out there naked and deal with it.  She shouldn’t have caused so much trouble in the first place.

_____

Skye was, of course, freezing.  She was crouched down at the edge of the tree line, holding her arms and rubbing them up and down as she shook.  She was scraped up and muddy and covered in dirt and blood.  She had been coming home with a deer, as she had done in the summer.  Her mother appreciated the free meat and she knew that even though Jemma wouldn’t admit it, she did like the stew that her mother made with it.  Since it was cold out and she had made the girl walk with her in the snow last night, Skye had thought to at least make herself useful and perform this small kindness for her to make her happy.

That’s what she had thought anyway, up until she broke the tree line, dragging the deer behind her by one of its antlers.  She had seen men apparate to their front door, and she had quickly crouched down, trying to hide herself.  For a moment she had forgotten she was naked, she was almost used to it.  She could still pick up the conversation at the door with her ears, if she strained, and she did.  The full moon was over and done, but her senses were still sharp for a few more hours.  Her body was exhausted though, which is why she hadn’t apparated back home in the first place.  She was sure to get splinched since she was finding focus hard, even now.

Knowing that the ministry had arrived made Skye’s adrenaline spike and her chest tighten with worry.  If the ministry had come then she knew that Jemma’s mother had been good on her promise.   She hadn’t delivered Jemma to the hospital.  Honestly, the shivering, naked brunette thought she would have had more time to prepare for the mess, but it had apparently evolved into a full form shit show.  Things had a way of turning out like that for her it seemed.

She had taken to curling into the dead deer, its body still mildly warm since she hadn’t disemboweled it.  It had been impressive really.  She had caught it by the throat, first try.  The brunette stirred when she saw movement out on the porch again against the white background of the sky and the snow.  It was too tall to be Jemma, it had to be her mother.  Her heart sank and fear gripped her chest when she thought that surely, now, her mother must know what she had done.  

She was shivering in the cold, but now she didn’t look forward to going home.  She couldn’t now anyway, not while those men were there.  Jemma could be up in her room, talking to them.  She couldn’t apparate to her room and find clothes if they were there.  She probably shouldn’t apparate anyway, even if she could.  Jemma had probably figured it out too.  Everyone was probably mad at her.  She was just going to have to sit there covered in grime and snow and be cold until they left.  Then Skye knew when she returned to the house, she was going to get a stern talking to.

 

___________________

 

After Jiaying interfered, the men from the ministry had continued with more of a routine mental inspection. It wasn't much different in the magical world than the muggle one, they ran through the basics. Ink blots, quick puzzles, and a few more questions. Jemma lied through all of it, her anger boiling inside of her like a ticking time bomb. All of the news she'd had to absorb silently was just sitting inside her, trying to claw its way up to the surface. Everything was a lie, Jemma told them she saw something happy in the inkblots when she didn't, told them she was fine when she was no longer certain it was true. If she had been alone, if she didn't have to be so fake to avoid being dragged off to a hospital, she didn't know what she would do. Her entire reality hinged on the fact that she trusted Skye, but that trust was completely destroyed.

It didn't take long for Jiaying to get rid of the ministry after they finished their examination. Jemma was assured by her that she was going to be allowed to stay, but Jemma still wasn't certain. After everything that had happened it was a little hard to believe that something was turning out the way they wanted it to.

Jiaying left Jemma in the living room, probably to go get Skye now that the ministry was gone, and Jemma curled up on the couch, resting her head on the armrest and clenching her jaw. She couldn't tell if she wanted to cry or scream, or maybe both. She was furious with her parents for demanding she be put in a mental hospital, but somehow it was even more upsetting that Skye had lied about it.

            “ _Sonorus,_ ” Jiaying was out on the porch, wand at her throat.  She was furious with her daughter for having put both her and Jemma in such a position.  She could tell the young girl was deeply upset as well.  This had been a surprise visit neither of them had enjoyed very much.  Jiaying wondered if her daughter knew how much trouble both of them could have gotten into if the Ministry hadn’t left satisfied that Jemma was capable and of sound mind.  
            “SKYE JOHNSON, YOU APPARATE YOUR NAKED WOLF ASS BACK TO THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW, OR SO HELP ME GOD, I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE, FUR OR NOT!!!”  Jiaying took the wand from her throat, saying the counter spell as she did so and shoved it back into the arm of her robe.  That had gotten her point across rather well, she thought, and as the older woman moved into the house, she heard a very familiar _crack_ from upstairs.  
            “You had better come down the moment you are decent!!” She shouted and moved into the kitchen, turning on the stove so that she could heat up the kettle.  Hopefully some tea would make Jemma feel a little better, Jiaying knew she was going to need some herself to calm down.

            Skye was one hundred percent not excited about the conversation to come, and so, despite the urgency in her mother’s voice, she took her time in the shower, almost too afraid to want to come out.  Granted, she was also freezing cold, having been out in the snow in the nude for almost two hours more than she had planned to be.  She was just starting to get the feeling back in her limbs when she heard a banging on her bedroom door and her mother shout.  Obviously, stalling any longer wasn’t going to work.  The brunette knew she was in for an ear full.

            She dressed quickly and dried her hair off as much as she could before she inhaled deeply, standing in front of her door.  Skye didn’t want to be skinned, although she was fairly certain her mother was exaggerating.  Opening it slowly, the brunette poked her head out of the door, listening intently for any signs of what might be waiting for her downstairs.  
            “Get your ass down here,” Jiaying snapped loudly.  The woman was leaning against the kitchen counter, watching the stairs as Skye slunk down and slowly made her way to the final step and looked first at her mother, then over to Jemma.  Neither looked very happy with her.  Either the ministry showing up hadn’t gone well, or they were just very _very_ upset she hadn’t told them.    
            Jiaying didn’t even say anything.  A pointed stare was fixed on her daughter, before she took the hand on her hip and pointed over to Jemma on the couch.  Skye didn’t have to be told twice.  Her metaphorical tail was tucked between her legs as she shuffled slowly over to the couch, not wanting to sit down.  The smaller girl probably wouldn’t let her anyway.  
            “Jemma…” Skye tried to say something else, to follow up, but all of her words got stuck in her throat.  What a terrible time to be tongue tied.  She was certainly afraid of what her girlfriend might say and/or do.  Her apology was stuck halfway up and all she could do was feel terrible and wonder if Jemma had been allowed to stay.  Skye thought she was better enough to be able to make her own decisions...she only hoped the ministry had too.

Jemma was aware of Skye's presence, she'd even felt satisfied by Jiaying yelling at her, but she still didn't feel like talking to her, seeing her, or even being in the same room as her.

"Go away." She said bitterly, covering her face with her arms so she didn't have to look at her. "Leave me alone." She demanded, though it sounded desperate and sad. She was, she didn't want to believe what she knew was true, but at this point, there was no denying it. She turned on the couch; she had been lying on her side facing the coffee table, but now she was facing the back cushion and pressing into it to hide herself. It was childish, but she felt like if she couldn't see Skye then Skye wouldn't see her. If she didn't participate in the situation maybe it wasn't happening. The fact that Skye was standing there silently made Jemma even more angry.

“I can still see you, Jemma…” Skye sighed as she watched her girlfriend try to hide herself away in the couch.  What she said, was not what she was supposed to say though and the clear huff she got both from Jemma and her mother was a clear sign of that.  The brunette shut her mouth, biting on her tongue and trying to get her apology out instead of something stupid.

Jemma’s words hurt her, but she knew Jemma had every right to be upset.  She had lied again, after she promised she wouldn’t…but Skye had only done it to keep Jemma from being upset…like she was now.  “I…I messed up…I know that,” She started.  Her mouth was dry and she had to pause awkwardly to think on her words and get her voice to work.

“I know I should have just told you…but I didn’t want you to be upset…They wanted to send you _away_!  They wanted to put you in a hospital and let strangers mess with you.  You barely let me and my mom talk to you when you first got here but you were doing so well…I…” Jiaying was giving her daughter a sharp look that told her to get to the point.

Skye cleared her throat.  Her body hurt and she was still freezing and she could feel a sneeze building up in the back of head from the cold she still had.  “I’m sorry, Jemma.  I’m sorry I lied again…”

"No..." Jemma mumbled. She clenched her jaw and finally moved her hands, but only so they could twist up into her hair and cover her ears. It was her way of saying she didn't want to hear it, since she wasn't sure how to explain what she was feeling with words. She was shaking her head slightly, and as her jaw clenched the tension in the room slowly got worse and worse until Jemma couldn't take it anymore.

"It would have been so much better coming from you than them..." Jemma cried, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks even if Skye couldn't see them. "How could you not..." Jemma's hands clenched into fists in her hair, and it barely registered that it was painful. Honestly, Jemma didn't want to believe her. She didn't want to believe Skye's apology because she knew it would happen again, just like it always did. No matter how many times Skye apologized for not telling her something important - something _crucial_ \- she would always do it again.

"You're a liar." Jemma spit, moving her face away from the couch cushions only to put her face in her hands once she sat up. She didn't want to look at her. "You promised and you lied." She said it again, like repeating it would somehow make her feel better about it, but it didn't. It only made her feel worse and she felt like this was all a horrible dream. Skye wouldn't do this to her again, she told herself. But no matter what she tried to convince herself, the reality was that Skye never stopped lying to her.

“Jemma, I onl-“

“Skye,” Her mother was curt and forceful and her daughter shut her mouth right then, just standing there staring hopelessly at her girlfriend.  They had been angry with each other before…but Skye knew in her gut that Jemma had a point.  She lied.  She lied a lot and even when she said she was sorry she lied again.  She wanted to blame it on her blood.  That she didn’t know any better, but she couldn’t.  She did know better and she kept doing it anyway.

“Skye, go to your room please.  We will have a _discussion_ later,” Jiaying ordered, not even looking at this point.  Her free hand that wasn’t holding a mug of tea was pointing towards the staircase.  Her daughter looked at her pleadingly for a moment before Jiaying emphasized the importance and haste of what she had ordered by clearing her throat.

Jemma would hear Skye sigh before she shuffled herself over to the stairs and slowly moved up them and Jiaying didn’t lower her hand until she heard the door shut.  She was furious with her daughter as well and she would have a chat with her at length about how upset she was…but that would have to wait.

“Jemma dear, would you like some tea?”

Jemma couldn't even speak, she was too upset. The thoughts running around in her head were too overwhelming, so instead she just shook her head and sniffled, not daring to look up from her hands.

"Tea doesn't fix everything, you know." She said bitterly. She felt bad for snipping at Skye's mother, she'd been nothing but kind to her thus far, but she couldn't help it. If she hadn't just drank her regular potion less than an hour ago, Jemma was sure she would be much more upset than this. She remembered how it had put a stopper on her emotions the very first time, over a month ago, and she wondered if it was doing the same now. It was terrible not even knowing how she really felt, but if this was any indication, it was awful, and she was probably better off not feeling it.

"I know." Jiaying sighed and carefully rested a hand on her shoulder. "You should go back to bed and rest for a while longer, it's still early." She said calmly, and Jemma just nodded. It was still very early, Skye had only just returned. She glanced at the stairs, and normally she would have gone back to sleep in Skye's bed, but she didn't want to face her again so soon. Jiaying seemed to notice this and read her mind, pointing to her own room before nudging Jemma slightly.

"It's alright, go on." Jemma listened to her, standing up and shuffling over to Jiaying's bedroom, giving a quiet thanks before closing the door. It had been a long day, and the sun had hardly even risen yet.


	10. Libertas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!  
> Sorry the gap between chapters has been so long! School, work, and internship has kept bot me and Skimmonsfiction very busy! We are on the final stretch though so I hope you brought your tissues.

 "Here you go, dear." Jiaying placed a mug full of warm liquid on the nightstand on the side of the bed Jemma had been sleeping in for the past three weeks. She was willing to share her bed with the young girl, she was only upset that her daughter hadn't been able to fix things by now, though she was beginning to think that wasn't a possibility now. They'd never been at odds for this long. The interactions that Jiaying did see were few and far in between, Jemma never went up to Skye's room anymore, and after Skye realized that Jemma didn't want to talk to her, that was where she stayed most of the time.

Jemma had been getting better, the look in her eyes wasn't so wild all the time. Even her physical appearance had shifted, she no longer looked so thin from her month without much food while she'd been hiding, and the dark circles around her eyes had faded. She didn't seem happy, holed up in Jiaying's room reading upside-down all day, but it was better than before, in a way.

"This isn't the potion." Jemma said, shocked, when she took a sip and all that was inside was just tea. She was shocked, she'd been relying on it to keep her calm since she was rescued.

"I think it's time you go without it." Jiaying suggested. She didn't want Jemma on what was basically a magical sedative forever, so it was time to take her off of it if she ever wanted to get better.

Jemma nodded continuing to read her book and sip on the tea Jiaying had brought her. It was better than her own, probably perfected by experience and that fact that tea was nothing compared to the potions she brewed.

Finally, when Jemma got too hungry to wait to get something to eat, she put down her book and wandered out into the kitchen, but froze when she found Skye there as well. Not knowing what to say after spending so long without speaking, Jemma dropped her eyes and walked over to the sink to wash out her mug without saying a word or making eye contact. Something felt like it was bubbling up in her chest when she saw Skye, but it was unidentifiable and Jemma almost didn't want to find out.

Skye had been doing her best to give Jemma space.  She had thought it would be like their normal fights…except this time Jemma seemed to be the one who was doing the ignoring like Skye normally did, and Skye was the one trying to fix it like Jemma normally did.  Any and all interactions had been brief and nothing seemed to be getting accomplished.  Skye honestly thought it would have blown over by now, like things normally did, and they would be back to as close to normal as they could be, given the situation.  But it had been three weeks now, and entire week longer than their longest process and it was starting to weigh on her.

She knew what she wanted to say to Jemma, she just didn’t know how too.  She wanted to keep apologizing, but every time she thought too Jemma’s accusation lit up in her head, calling her a liar all over again.  She had done it to protect Jemma, to keep her from becoming this upset, but she had done a terrible job and things had fallen apart anyway.  She had just been trying to do what she thought was best.  Jemma was getting so much better…she hadn’t wanted to hinder that process.   _Excuses_ she heard in her head over and over.   _Excuses_.

It didn’t seem like an excuse for her behavior though.  That had been why she had done it, but she couldn’t bring herself to get past either Jemma eyeing her bitterly still or not at all.  Not at all seemed to be the case now, so Skye was resolved to let it be.  She would just need to be patient a while longer…although the entire thing was starting to worry her more and more.

“I-I’m going for a run…” She stammered to her mother, who was headed upstairs for something.  Skye grabbed her sweatshirt off of the couch.  If Jemma was going to be up and walking around she would give her the space to do it without her being there.  She couldn’t just sit up in her room though.  The moon was close, yet again, and the closer it got, the more Skye feared that Jemma wasn’t going to go out with her and walk her in the cold snow and pat her head and be there for her when her body twisted and broke.  Still, the energy needed to be let out and even with snow on the ground Skye needed to get out of the house before she exploded.

It was lonely out there during the winter now though and although sometimes Skye enjoyed running by herself, she had enjoyed when the owls came along or when she ran into other animals along the way.  There weren’t any out now that snow was on the ground though or if there were, they steered clear of her now.  Strigi and Archi were too happy being warm inside to come fly in the cold.  It was a harmless thought…and it made Daisy stop by the door, looking outside before she turned back inside slightly.  Jemma hadn’t been out in a while and even if it was chilly…the right thing might could pull her out of the mood she was in.  A happy place with some nice memories.  The lake was lovely with snow on it and Skyre remembered wanting to share it with her before everything had gone to shit.  Even if she was quiet it would be alright…at least she’d get some fresh air that way too.

“Uhm…the lake is pretty this time of year.  I-I think you would like it…”

Jemma was a little shocked that Skye was talking to her, but not so shocked that she didn't pay attention and hear what was being said. She looked up, barely glancing at the girl by the door, before looking back down at her hands, focusing the rag and the cup in her hands even though it was clean long ago. She wouldn't be sucked back in, Jemma wouldn't let Skye's shy nervousness, pretty eyes, or puppy dog face draw her back in again. It had happened too many times, Jemma should have realized long ago that she had been so whipped that she let Skye get away with anything. She wasn't going to do it anymore, and she couldn't help that the just the sound of Skye's voice was rubbing her the wrong way.

Jemma's jaw clenched as she thought about the lake, they had so many happy memories there and it only made Jemma bitter that she wasn't so naive anymore. Ignorance had been bliss, but now everything felt different and she just didn't know how to process.

She wasn’t talking to her.  Skye didn’t know what she expected.  She had barely said two words to her in the last three weeks.  She just wanted to do whatever Jemma wanted her to do to let them be alright again and without talking, Skye had no idea what it was.  She knew the girl hadn’t stepped outside in three weeks, so she was resolved to try again.

“C’mon Jemma…you don’t even have to talk to me.  You can just stand there and look at the lake.  It’s really pretty when it’s frozen and the fresh air will be good for you.  I know you haven’t been outside in a while…” She tried again, no stuttering this time because she was just trying to convince her to come.  To do anything.  Skye just wanted to be near her and them not be mad for five minutes.

“Five minutes.  In and out.  You get some fresh air, see a nice sight, and then boom, back in the house.  No problem.”

"You don't have to take care of me anymore, I'm not broken. Jiaying says I'm getting better." Jemma muttered, still not looking up. Skye was treating her like she actually was sick, trying to get her up and out of the house. What she was saying definitely sounded like something someone would say to a sick person, and Jemma didn't like it. She wasn't a child, so she didn't want Skye talking to her like she was one.

"Apparently I'm sane enough to make my own decisions, and I don't want to go to the lake." Jemma snapped. She couldn't help it. Deep down she'd been angry with Skye for lying to her all this time, and for three whole weeks the potion she'd been taking to help her calm down had been putting a cap on that emotion, bottling it up for the most part and not letting her really express herself. It was a good and bad thing that she was off it now. She could finally let it out, but Jemma just knew it wasn't going to be good. She could feel a deep, penetrating loathing, but she didn't know who it was for. It could have been Cal, Skye, or herself, Jemma didn't know, but Skye was there to take it out on and she couldn't stop it.

“I didn’t say you were broken,” Skye sighed heavily, a frown evident on her face while she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe to move and go outside.

“I would have told anyone who had been indoors for three weeks straight to get some fresh air.  I just thought you would like to see the lake in the winter, but excuse me for asking.  I’ll go back to purgatory now,” Skye rolled her eyes and shoved the door open, adjusting the sweater as she went out into the chilly air.  She shouldn’t have snipped, but she was wound up from the moon being so close and from being ignored for the better part of a month.  It was like Jemma didn’t even want them to get back to normal and it upset her.

When Skye snapped back at her, Jemma's head finally shot up and her eyes narrowed, lips pursed into a thin line. She was too self righteous for her own good at the moment, and she didn't want to let Skye's comment go unaddressed. She followed her out into the cold, only regretting it when goose bumps popped up on her arms and a shiver ran down her spine.

"What was that supposed to mean?!" She yelled at Skye's back, not wanting to let her just run off after such a jab.

Skye sighed again.  She didn’t want to do this right now.  She wanted to go run but leaving Jemma angry felt worse than leaving her with her still ignoring her.  “It means…” Skye turned around and crossed her arms, shifting slightly on the porch as she kicked some of the snow off her sneakers, “That I’ve been trying to apologize and give you space for three weeks and that we are normally alright by now but you keep ignoring me.  You won’t talk to me or look at me and it _sucks_.  I’m trying to give you what you want so that we will be back to normal soon but I don’t know what that is if we don’t at least talk about it.”

"Right, usually our fights don't last that long because I forgive you sooner." Jemma groaned, looking away for a second before making eye contact with Skye again. She didn't know what she wanted to say, she knew that Skye was upset with her, but Jemma couldn't bring herself to feel guilty about it at all, at least she wouldn't. That had happened too many times for her not to know better.

"I don't know what normal _is_ anymore, I don't know how to _be normal for you._ " Jemma's hands reached the sides of her head again before her fingers tangled up in her hair and her eyes shut tightly. This wasn't what she wanted to say, she didn't know how to say it. She couldn't express that feeling she'd gotten from Skye the whole time she'd been recovering, the one where Jemma felt like she couldn't meet some standard because she didn't know about it. There was no way she could explain this, no way she could get Skye to understand, and it frustrated her.

Jemma wanted this "normal", whatever it was. She wanted to be happy with Skye and move on and be like they were, but she was just so _mad._ It was like she couldn't let this one go, and Jemma didn't know why.

“You don’t have to be normal for me!  That’s not even what I meant,” Skye’s arms uncrossed and flew to her sides, holding at her hips before she crossed them again, unsure of what to do with them.  She used her hands a lot when she was angry, and she didn’t want to be getting angry.  She wanted to have a real conversation but Jemma was getting worked up and it was getting Skye worked up.

“I didn’t mean normal _normal_ , I just meant whatever we had before I fucked it up.  It wasn’t like it was, which is _fine_.  It didn’t have to be like that!  We were still happy though.  I want us happy,” She was trying to clarify, but Skye knew she wasn’t the best with words anyway.

“I’m sorry I lied.  I didn’t want to hurt you.  I didn’t know how you would react and I’m sorry.  I should have just showed you the letter and read it to you and helped you over it.  I know I messed up and I’m sorry.  How many more times do I have to say it?  I mean it every time, Jemma.  It’s not like I’m faking being upset!  I want to make it right but you won’t _let me!”_

"How many letters were there?" Jemma asked, eyes hard as her arms crossed over her chest, hugging herself slightly to stay warm. Skye wanted a number, and Jemma was going to give it to her. "How long ago did you get the first one?" Jemma was getting closer now, and every step into the snow with bare feet made her just a little bit colder. "How many times did you look me in the eye and _not tell me the truth?_ That's how many times I want you to apologize before I can try to forgive you, if even then." Jemma said, tears in her eyes now. There was a small part of her that still wanted to know: how long had she been able to lie without Jemma even realizing?

“There were only two…” Skye mumbled and had to look away because she couldn’t look at Jemma while she was crying.  She already felt like shit and she was going to feel even worse if she stared at those teary sad eyes.  She would give up and the conversation would be dropped and nothing would get solved.

The other questions were harder to answer though…she didn’t know how many times…she hadn’t explicitly lied except for that once when she read the letter.  The other times she just opted to not bring it up…that wasn’t technically lying was it?  When had she even gotten the first letter?  Strigi had brought it to her out at the lake…

“The first one came the day you got frustrated with the books and broke the mirror…but they were both to my mom.  Neither of them were addressed to you.  Your parents didn’t write you at all…” Skye grit her teeth and shut her mouth.  That wasn’t what Jemma needed to hear right now.  “You just…you just looked so happy that you thought they wrote you that I didn’t want to upset you and say what they actually wrote.  You’d been having such a good day…”

The first letter came the day Jemma had broken the mirror and almost committed suicide with it, but Skye didn't know that. The memory made Jemma shudder, and she was glad she had improved from that, even if she wasn't back to her old self yet. That had been so long ago, though, hardly a week after everything had happened. Skye had been lying to her practically the whole time and Jemma hadn't suspected a thing.

"I can't believe this..." Jemma's voice cracked, and she held a palm against her forehead as if it would make her sudden headache go away.  Her parents hadn't written to her at all. Her mother and father thought she was crazy, but it still hurt worse than that that Skye hadn't told her about it. She'd let her believe everything was right in the world when everything was going so horribly wrong.

"You didn't give me any time to prepare myself." Jemma cried, thinking back to her awful interrogation with the officers from the ministry of magic. "I found out anyway, which was bound to happen eventually, but I found out not thirty seconds before I had to prove my mental stability, when I didn't even have the time to process that the only bits of reality I could hold onto were all lies!" Jemma was angry now. If she hadn't been before, she was now. She was finally explaining just how mad she was and what Skye had done to her. "I was so confused after I woke up, nothing made sense and everything was terrifying. All I had in this whole godforsaken world was my faith in you! Apparently it was misguided." Jemma was breathless, her chest was heaving. Yelling felt good, her anger had been building up for weeks and the dam was finally breaking, nothing could stop her now.

"No matter how many times you lie, you do it again, and I'm just so _tired_."

That hurt.  Skye thought she might have cracked a tooth her jaw clenched so hard. Jemma had a point, but it also wasn't fair. It wasn't like she lied to hurt her on purpose. She wanted to tell her she had thought she would have had more time.  She thought she could sit down and explain it when she was better.  She hadn't actually thought her parents would send for the ministry.  Perhaps she was just so scared they could have actually taken her away.  They would have put her in the hospital.  Thank god she had passed whatever they had done with her because Skye knew neither of them could have coped with that well.  She'd probably hate her even more now.  She hadn't betrayed her.  She'd tried to keep her safe.  Like she'd been trying to do the entire time.  Like she had been trying to do all of this year.   But none of that came out.  None of that made it past her brain and I to her mouth.   
"Tired of the lying or tired of /me/?  Because people lie, Jemma.  And they don't always do it to be mean! I never wanted to hurt you and I'm sorry I did!  I'm sorry, I'm sorry!  People make mistakes.  I make mistakes, I'm only human!" She was yelling.  Her hands were going this way and that and her temperature was rising.  Jemma would see the redness in her face.  She didn't want to be yelling.  She didn't want to be angry, but Jemma was yelling and her body felt on the cusp of something and she couldn't keep it in.

"I don't know, Skye!" Jemma shouted, hands coming back up to her head again. She didn't like where this conversation was going, but in a way it felt inevitable. "I don't know, I can't-" Jemma herself didn't even know what the end of her sentence was. All she knew was that she couldn't keep doing whatever she was doing.  She'd completely lost herself because she cared too much, and that part of her life was over.

"I just can't do it anymore." Jemma sounded defeated, and it was because she was. She was giving up. After everything she'd been through, Jemma just wanted to lay down her weapons and quit. Nothing felt like it was worth fighting for anymore, not even whatever she had with Skye. It had all gone to hell anyway, they hadn't truly been happy since summer. Jemma had lost everything. Even now, when apparently he was gone, Cal had won.

Skye didn't like the implications in that sentence.  She also didn't like the fact that she knew they were probably more than just implications.  Jemma was bringing them down a dangerous path and Skye couldn't avert it.  She couldn't change course.  She couldn't steer them to safety...because there wasn't a safety anymore.  

Jemma was done.  Jemma was quitting.  After coming to find her.  After all those months.  After facing down her father.  After struggling with the aftermath of facing down her father.  After she was getting better now was the moment she chose to be done and Skye was the straw that had broken her back.  Skye couldn't handle it.  She wanted to scream.  She wanted to yell.  She wanted to break something.  If Jemma wanted to give up, if she wanted to throw it all way, then fine.  Skye had said she would do whatever Jemma wanted, whatever it took to get her to forgive her.  She had practically already spelled it out.  It just needed to be said.

"Fine.  You don't have to.  You want to be done? Good, fine, be done.  You don't have to deal with it anymore!  You don't need to worry about me lying anymore!  You're free!  Go do what you want!  I'm no longer your fucking problem!"  She was gripping the railing so hard her knuckles were white.  She couldn't hear the wood cracking over her yelling.  She was crying too.  The tears felt hot on her cold face and she couldn't get her mouth to shut up.  Of all the times for it to work this was the worst possible one.  There was a pause, only because she shrieked and leaned over the railing when she felt her spinal ridges snap.  She was so worked up her body wanted to change.  Wanted to take all that frustration out on something.  Anything.  Skye thought she knew why werewolves hurt themselves now because all she wanted to do was rip her skin  off.  Rip her heart out and her lungs and be done with it.  

She controlled herself though and she let out a sigh and cried louder when her spine went back into place and she pushed against the railing to lift herself back up.  It caved though and part of it splintered off and fell into the snow.  "Fuck!" She shook her hand off and shook her head, not wanting to look at Jemma anymore.  Why bother at this point.

"I-I'm done too!  We're done.  It's over.  Go be f-fucking happy with whatever perfect person you find who never lies or makes mistakes and isnt some goddamn freakish hellish monster!  You.  Are.   _Free_!"  Skye the her arms up and bit her tongue then.  She could taste the blood in her mouth and it made her sick.  Her heart was pounding and she couldn't keep from moving.  So she turned tail and she sprinted for the woods, tripling up in the field only once and falling into the dirty snow before she scrambled up and kept going.  She was crying.  She was still crying. And her body kept breaking only to remember it wasn't quite time yet, which made her stumble and fall more than she should have, scraping herself on stumps and rocks and ice.  She ran all the way to the lake.  Her lungs felt like they were frozen, cracking apart at the seams as she tried to take in more air and expand as she ran.  She ran past the lake.  Maybe her heart would burst and she really would be done. She kept going and she didnit stop.

Jemma didn't know what to do. Her mouth was dry, and it felt like it was frozen shut. There was no way she could process. Sure, her subconscious may have suggested they break off and it may have vaguely slipped out of her mouth, but now it was really over. They just broke up. More than five years together and that was it, it was done.

Tears filled Jemma's eyes and she just stood there for a moment, watching, before her legs began to shake and her knees gave out.

Crashing down onto her hands and knees, Jemma let out a sob, a wet, heartbroken sob. Somehow, over the past few months, Jemma had managed not to cry very often at all, but she had no more resistance. It was too much.

"Shhh, it's alright, she'll calm down eventually." A comforting female voice suddenly overwhelmed Jemma's senses and there was a hand on her shoulder. Jemma flinched away, yelling some kind of nonsense before there was a /crack/ and Jemma disappeared, pushing away space as she reappeared in Skye's bedroom. Jiaying was wrong. Skye wouldn't calm down. They'd fought so many times before, but never like this. They /broke up/. Jemma couldn't take it. She couldn't stay here, she couldn't stay with Skye and her mother after what had just happened.

Jemma felt so stupid. She'd felt so stupid for so long and she hated herself, hated what Cal had done to her. She hated the new her, the one that was at least partially at fault for her breakup with the only person she'd ever been with, the only person she'd ever wanted to be with. She had to leave, that was the only thing she could do.

Jemma couldn't go home, either. She couldn't face her parents, who hadn't written to her, who had only written to Jiaying to send her to a mental hospital. The only other option was school. Fitz was at school, and he was all she had left.

Scrambling about, Jemma found several folded up cardboard boxes around the house, and under Jiaying's sad, watchful eyes, began to pack all of her things. Jiaying knew of course that Jemma had the right to make her own decisions, and that she was going to have to let everything play out.

So much stuff had accumulated in Skye's room over time, Jemma had trouble sorting it out. The books she knew were all hers except for a select few, so she cleared the bookshelf, as well as grabbed the stack of them near the bed. Her clothes were next. This took longer, since everything was so mixed up, but eventually all that was left in Skye's closet was what actually belonged there.

Jemma felt numb, almost like the potion made her, dead to the world, as she grabbed the remaining objects around the room that had belonged to her. All of them were carelessly stuffed into boxes, and Jemma hauled them downstairs herself. She appreciated that Jiaying didn't try to convince her to stay, she must have known that Jemma needed to leave. She had to.

Jiaying let her use her floo powder to send her boxes back home, with the exception of her school trunk and her owl cage.

"I'm sorry." Jemma sobbed as Strigi obediently stepped inside on command and she had to stop Archi from following with her hand. They both squawked loudly to let her know they were upset when Jemma closed the cage door, and it made her sob even harder.

Jemma should have just stayed out of it. She should have stayed at school when she found out about Cal and maybe everything wouldn't be so absolutely horrible right now. Maybe she and Skye would have had a chance.

"I'm so, so sorry." Jemma told the owls again when she had to separate them at the front door. Jiaying kindly agreed to drive her to the train station, and as Jemma looked into Skye's house from the doorway, it was for the last time. It was all over, everything she'd known since she was eleven and first met Skye.   
_My name is Jemma Simmons._ That was all she had left.


	11. Adher Sempra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both Skimmonsfiction and I have finally graduated!   
> So finally I have free time to get back to you all and to write! For all the other graduates, congratulations!!! Here's a present!  
> Sorry that it has taken so long!
> 
> This one won't be any easier than the last one, but skimmons is still endgame I swear!

“Momma!”

“Here you are my poor darling girl,” Jiaying sighed with relief, finally, after nearly a week of worrying and letting Skye be on her own.  The fight had been big, and Jiaying honestly hadn’t expected her daughter to be home by the time she got back from taking Jemma to the train station.  She hadn’t even expected her back the next day.  She knew her daughter had a temper than that secluding herself away was her way to cope.  She’d been doing it forever, but never to these extremes before.  She supposed her wolfs blood had something to do with that now.

She knelt next to her daughter in the half-melted snow, pulling out a large jar of silver dust from the pouch she had brought with her when she had finally decided her daughter wasn’t coming back on her own.  The third day when Skye had not come back Jiaying had been truly worried, since the next day after would be the full moon.  She was also disappointed with her daughter for being so irresponsible and keeping herself out.  She had a responsibility to be aware of her condition and take preventative measures…she could hurt someone if she didn’t.

As she applied the dust to her daughter’s slashed skin she watched as the naked girl whimpered and shivered in the cold, whining from her wounds as they slowly closed, leaving her with even more scars that would never completely fade.  From the look of her, Jiaying figured the wolf had not found anything to harm except for herself.  Jiaying could even imagine why her daughter was crying more.  If it was because she hurt so badly or because of what she had done.  She suspected a great deal of both.

She capped the jar and put it away, pulling out instead, a very thick blanket and began to wrap it around Skye’s body, which was still bloody but now mostly put back together.  When she had put a trace spell on her daughter and saw how far away she had gone, Jiaying had been sure to pack a lot of things, ready to encounter whatever trouble she had gotten herself into.  She had known it would be bad.  Somehow still she could not fully prepare.  It broke her heart to see Skye this way, especially after everything that had already happened.

“Hold still love.  We will be home in a moment…try to focus,” Jiaying instructed as she knelt over further and wrapped her arms around her child to hold her in the blanket.  She hated to do it, but she hit her daughter’s cheeks a few times to make her aware, gently of course, but enough to startle her back awake.  Her body wanted to shut down but Jiaying needed it to function just a little longer.  “I’m going to apparate, Skye, you need to stay awake,” She said firmly and watched as her daughter shivered and finally nodded, trying to force her eyes open and focus on home.  Jiaying waited for a nod, before she apparated.

Apparently, Skye had focused too hard or too little, because when Jiaying brought them back into their living room an overarching cry caught her attention.  Jiaying quickly unwrapped the blanket and saw, as her daughter writhed on the hardwood that her old splinching scars had opened.  “Oh my sweet girl, I told you to concentrate,” Jiaying sighed heavily, getting up and rushing into the kitchen, hands flying through her cabinets and drawers until she found a jar of dittany.  She rushed back just as quickly and held her daughter still with one strong arm, pressing her back against the floor as the other let drops of the magical liquid fall over her daughter’s wounds.

When at last they were closed and Skye still in the floor, breathing heavily, Jiaying sighed.  She couldn’t bear to bring her up to her room…just the sight of all of Jemma’s things missing would be too much for her, especially in the state she was in.  Jiaying would spare her, and she brought her daughter, blanket and all, into her own room and laid her down on the bed.  She cleaned her while she slept, having to use several rags to wipe all of the blood away.

It was quiet in the house for nearly two days while Skye slept off her transformation and all the grief she’d caused herself.  Jiaying knew she was only going to wake up to more and she would do what she could for her daughter, but she had done this herself.  That didn’t mean she didn’t hate it for her though.  Once she woke up it took another day and a half to get Skye back out of her room.  She had refused to come out, skulking and balled up into herself on her bed, staring at how empty her room really was without all of Jemma’s things in it.  Her closet was practically empty now too and she was pretty sure she was wearing clothes that were all her own for the first time in probably at least three years.  Jiaying had had to use a great deal of tough love to get her daughter up and moving again.  She brought her with her on her next trip to Diagon Alley a day later and when Skye saw her mother buying her school books she had almost shut down right there.  By this time her daughter already knew that Jemma was back at school, and had been for a week or so.  It was obvious that Skye didn’t want to join her there.

“And whats the point of going anyway?  Even if there is over half a year left I don’t need seven years of school to be a professional quidditch pla-“

“You’re going back to school and that’s that, Skye.  You can’t stay in this house forever.  And if you really want to play then you should go back to school and get back on the team and play,” Jiaying stated.  She was packing Skye’s things because Skye wouldn’t.

“Mamma, I don’t—“

“You’re going, Skye Johnson,” Jiaying whirled around after shutting her daughter’s school trunk and sighed heavily, hands on her hips and looking down at her daughter.  She looked a mess, poor thing.  Pink scars on her arms and neck where the silver dust hadn’t quite gotten them to dim down yet.  The others she had given to herself before.  She was a marked up mess and Jiaying knew the strain of her condition was hard, especially when she didn’t have the potion.

“They don’t even allow werewolves at school, mom.  So I can’t anyway—“

“Headmaster Coulson has written to me and assured that he has set forth every precaution which can be taken.  All the parents have been sent letters and you will be given guidelines.  The potions professor will mix your potions and you will go to the Headmaster every day of the moon and you will take your potion and you will be allowed to roam certain areas of the Forbidden Forest.  They’re not going to keep you from going out Skye, but it is important that you do not miss them.  If you do you _will_ be expelled and you _will_ be charged with endangering the other students and you will be locked away.  Do you understand me?”

Skye grit her teeth together, jaw clenched, but she nodded bitterly.  Neither she nor Archi had been doing well since Jemma and Strigi’s departure.  Both seemed to know it was for good, them being apart, but at least at school Archi and Strigi would still get to be with each other.  It wasn’t fair to them to suffer because of their choices.

“Fine…”

The ride to the station had been all too short, and Jiaying had accompanied her daughter through the pillar to make sure she got onto the train.  The train ride was long and daunting and Skye was into her house robes long before the train reached the school in an attempt to try and distract herself.  She hadn’t seen any of the papers in her absence and hiding and she didn’t know what they had said, but she prepared herself for the worst.  She got it.

Having arrived an hour or so before dinner and it being so cold outside now, more students were hanging out inside the castle and in the common rooms and when Skye reached the Slytherin common room to unload all of her things, the whispers and the stares and averted eyes and gasps were almost too much.

She found her bed, the one that had been empty all year and she unpacked all of her things, ignoring the other girls going by the door and whispering.  By the time it was actually dinner time she heard everyone filing out of the common room, but she lingered.  She didn’t want to go.  She knew if she missed dinner though that she would be hungry.  She was hungry now, but she dreaded the thought of the great hall.  Everyone would be there. _Everyone._  And everyone meant Jemma.  Even if she didn’t look over at the Ravenclaw table, Skye knew she would be there, in the same room.  She’d have to pretend not to care, not to look.  Jemma was done.  She had said so.  Skye had just done them both a favor…it had been what Jemma wanted.  She wouldn’t have said all of those things if it weren’t true.

Her legs had brought her there without really thinking and she filed into the great hall for dinner with a larger group of Slytherins who all sat in their normal places.  Except Skye didn’t have a normal place…so she sat away from everyone else.  She didn’t think she could stand to listen to them talk about her anymore.  She got stares from other tables and other houses and she wondered if this is how it had been for Jemma when she got back.  The other Slytherin steered clear of her too, till there was a good space around her where the other students didn’t want to sit, which just made her stick out even more.  She forced herself to keep her eyes down on her empty plate.  If she looked around she knew what she was going to see, and she wanted to avoid that.  She didn’t want to be here.  She was also pretty sure no one wanted her here anyway.

Jemma heard the whispers. Word got around fast the second someone had seen Skye, and Jemma knew as soon as she sat down that the rumors were true. Of course they were, why wouldn't she be back at school now? Her transformation for the month was over (Jemma stayed up all night during the full moon, just wondering if Skye was alright, but what did that matter).

Everyone was talking about Skye, and it almost would have been a nice change if she didn't know how it felt and didn't care that Skye was going through the same thing she had. There were two types of people, there were the kind that stayed back and whispered about them, and there were the kind that got up in their faces and stuck their noses in where  they didn't belong.

There had been quite a few people that wouldn't leave Jemma alone since getting back, and she hoped the same thing didn't happen to her girlf... ex-girlfriend. The thought made Jemma bitterly swallow the small bite of food she'd managed to actually put in her mouth. Fitz seemed to notice her distress, and he glanced up at the Slytherin table. Jemma still hadn't looked. She couldn't. If she saw Skye she would either break down, go into her fifth panic attack that week, or both.

It had been hard without her. Jemma didn't even realize how much Skye's presence helped calm her down until it wasn't there anymore. Skye had been so good to her while she was getting better, and now she was basically regressing, but at least she had the clarity of mind to feel guilty for what had happened, but that only made her hate herself even more.

Jemma hadn't really, truly meant she wanted them to break up. What she had been trying to say at the time was that she was tired of their situation, not Skye. Never Skye. Jemma hated that Skye lied to her like that and her anger about it hadn't dissipated, but she wasn't trying to give up on her, or at least she hadn't meant to. All of her thoughts and emotions were jumbled up inside her head and it was so hard to untangle them, she only wished she had been able to explain it.

Skye had finished it though, the memory of her yelling angrily at her made her flinch. Jemma figured at least some part of her must have wanted that, pushed for their breakup. That's why she didn't say anything. She didn't know if Skye would really want to get back together with her when she wasn't even the same person she'd been when they'd last spent real time together.

"A lunatic more like..." Jemma muttered to herself, the insult hardly new to her ears. She'd heard the talk around school, everyone knew what happened. It had probably been in the paper.

There was a hand on her back and Jemma looked up, meeting eyes with her concerned friend. Fitz had been more than friendly, he'd done everything he could to make sure she was comfortable even in such a stressful place, and he could always tell when she was upset. It was for obvious reasons today, though. She only talked to herself when she was troubled and Fitz knew it.

"Let's get you out of here." Fitz gently held Jemma's shoulders and guided her up, grabbing some food for her to finish in the safety of their common rooms. Jemma had been spending most of her time there. She didn't go to all of her classes, only the ones she could manage to drag herself to, and Headmaster Coulson was alright with it, under the circumstances.

Jemma finally looked up as she stood up from the bench, and it was a mistake. Her eyes instantly locked on Skye and her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to magnetically pull her towards the other girl, who looked so sad and alone. She wanted to fix it, not just out of lingering obligation. She still cared, she loved her, no matter what had happened before.

"Come on," Fitz sighed, guiding her a little more forcefully towards the exit. He knew that she gravitated towards Skye, but he didn't want to even go there. It would only upset her more and that wouldn't do anything to help her feel better.

"You go on, I'll be right behind you. I'm just going to grab some more for us to eat." Fitz told her when they reached the door, making sure Jemma kept walking before he slipped back inside the great hall.

Jemma didn't even realize she was crying again until she sniffled and had to wipe her wet cheeks with her sleeve. She'd been doing a lot of that lately, she missed Skye and she regretted everything that had happened. She just wanted her girlfriend back, she wanted the bed to be warm again and she wanted someone who cared when she woke up screaming from her nightmares.

"Hey, Simmons." A taunting voice made Jemma look up from the stone floor as she walked, and she nearly crashed into the tall Slytherin boy. She didn't know his name, but she recognized his face. He'd bothered her before and Jemma got a sinking feeling in her stomach. She suddenly wished she wasn't alone in the empty Hogwarts halls right now.

"Let me be," Jemma put her head down and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her upper arm and turned her back around, knocking all of Jemma's books to the floor.

"Come on, don't be like that." He grinned, as if all of this was a game. His friendly act was all too familiar and it made Jemma shudder, her hands were shaking and she was leaning away, but his grip on her arm didn't relent. "I'm just curious." He teased.

"I don't want to talk to you." Jemma said quietly, but she didn't dare move. It felt like her heart was running as fast as a jackhammer and she could feel another panic attack rising up, but she tried to force it back down.

"I just wanna know one thing. What did it feel like, the cruciatus curse?" He asked, and Jemma froze. She wanted to throw up, all of her skin was tingling at the horrible memory. When she didn't answer him, he kept on asking questions. "Why did he do it? I mean he was basically your father-in-law, he must have really hated mudbloods to do that." He wasn't just curious anymore. He was trying to get under Jemma's skin, and it was working.

"Leave me alone!" Jemma yelled, yanking her arm free. She was about to run, but the other student suddenly pulled his wand. It was probably harmless, he was just going to use it to scare her into staying, but Jemma's brain went to the worst possible option. She had a sudden flash memory of Cal in the same position, and startled, she tripped and crashed to the floor among her books. She let out a shriek and held her arms over her face, as if this would have helped her even if the boy had cast a spell.

"Crazy bitch," he muttered, taking off down the hall so he wouldn't get caught when Jemma was causing such a commotion. Jemma curled into a ball on the cold stone, trying to mutter her own words of comfort, but it wasn't working and her breath was still shallow.  
  
_________________  
  


After sending Jemma off, Fitz only waited in the entry to the great hall for a moment before he marched over to the Slytherin table, ignoring all the strange looks he was getting. His hand slammed down on the wooden table next to where Skye was sitting.

He was angry. He'd tried to convince Jemma not to go after Skye at the beginning of the year, but she'd been too devoted. She loved Skye too much to sit back, and look what she got for it. She went through more trauma than even the greatest of witches and wizards, and while she was struggling, Skye dumped her.

Even if Jemma argued with him that she had sort of suggested it, Fitz just couldn't see how Skye didn't fight for her. Jemma was lost and confused and Skye was acting just like she always did. She took Jemma's words and signals the same way, when in fact they didn't mean the same thing at all anymore. That was over, now, though, and he knew that it wouldn't be good for Jemma to play their hot and cold games anymore.

"Look, we may have to share the same school now, but we don't share Jemma. You left her, so don't go back. She can't handle you, she can't even handle herself. She's been struggling to move on and get better and you confusing her even more isn't going to help. You made your choice, and I'm here to let you know it's too late to change your mind." Fitz said it all in one go, laying everything out on the table. He looked Skye dead in the eye and dared her to disagree.

She was not in the mood to deal with it today.  She could handle strangers whispering about her, talking about her, saying terrible things and the like.  She could bear it from them.  She couldn’t bear it from Fitz.  He hadn’t been with Jemma since shit hit the fan.  He hadn’t been there to help her through and get better.  He hadn’t done jack shit.  He hadn’t even written.  Her fist clenched around her fork and for a moment she considered jabbing it into his eye socket.

She didn’t.

“Yes…” She slammed her fists down on the table, “Yes, thank you _Prince Charming_ for letting me know my boundaries.  I’ll be sure to adhere to your terms the moment I find them agreeable.  Now, if you don’t want to have an affinity for rare steak and running naked through the woods, I _suggest_ you leave me the fuck alone!” Skye had stood up, and those around them were staring, but she didn’t care.  Even from across the table she was daunting.  Taller than him now thanks to the shifting in her bones, and a hell of alot stronger.

How dare he come over and tell her what she could and could not do.  Skye knew she was probably only so peeved at him because she knew he was right.  It’s what Jemma had wanted.  She couldn’t back out, even if she wanted to.  She had just spared her having to speak the words.  She needed to stay strong.  She couldn’t be bad for Jemma if she wasn’t with Jemma. 

Fitz was fuming. Of course Skye would be like this, he'd seen how angry she could get. It was a wonder to him how Jemma had managed to put up with her for so long. He and Skye had never been friends, but they'd tolerated each other because they both had Jemma. That didn't seem to be the case anymore.

His mouth even opened to respond and snap back, but he didn't quite make it. A shriek echoed around the stone walls from the hall, and everyone at dinner fell silent for a moment as the high pitched noise faded out. Fitz no longer cared about whatever Skye had said, he recognized that scream and was more worried for his friend.

"Not again..." He groaned sadly, not caring to see if Skye stayed before he dashed off as the whispering about whatever had just happened started up. Fitz shouldn't have left her alone, he knew people had been messing with Simmons and trying to get a rise out of her, but he thought she would have been fine since everyone was at dinner.

When he finally rounded the corner, Fitz sprinted to his best friend, who he could see was curled in on herself on the ground, shaking and surrounded by scattered books and parchment.

Dropping to his knees, Fitz gathered up the sobbing girl in his arms and rocked her gently, holding her tightly and trying to talk her down from her panic attack. He'd learned over the last week that physical contact seemed to be the only thing that got through to her, it was like she couldn't even hear what he was saying when she was so frazzled.

She knew it wasn't her job anymore. She knew she had forfeited any right to this, but by now it was instinct.  She knew that sound.  She had heard it during her first task, and her second, and her third and all through the past couple of months.  Her hands were already on the table so it was no trouble for Skye to hoist herself over as Fitz rushed away.  She was right on his heels up till they both burst from the great Hall.

He saw her first and he got to her first.  Her legs went to take a step, to go to her, but when Fitz dropped to the floor and started cradling Jemma she forced her legs to obey her.  She was like a statue in the hallway.  Taut, clenching, still, watching.  Her fists were balled up so tight she could feel her own nails hurting the inside of her palm. _That should be you..._ Jemma didn't need her anymore.  She had Fitz, as much as it made bile come up in the back of her throat, Skye had to admit it.  

If this had been happening the whole time she was at school, and Skye had broke it off and just wandered in the damn woods for days...but Jemma was tired of it.  Jemma was tired of her and her lying and Jemma would be better off without her there to keep hurting her.  Still, Skye wanted to be on the floor with her, to be the one holding her and talking to her.  She wanted to take her to the attic and hide her away and let her get her bearings back.  The thought that maybe she told Fitz about it and went there with him instead made her rage instead, but not more than the fact that someone had done this to her in the first place.  Someone had scared her this much.  It made her grit her teeth and the sound echoed in the now quiet hall before she forced herself to turn around.

Her legs moved on their own and she hated it.  She despised it and herself and Fitz and everyone and everything that all of her body was telling her to go back, but she walked away down the hall, heading back to her common room.  Jemma had Fitz now.  
She hadn't eaten, but now she wasn't even hungry.  Her ears were still ringing, playing the cry over and over in her head, taunting her, like she could do something about it when she couldn't.  She didn't notice the hand on her shoulder until it pulled to stop her and turn her around.

"Skye, wait up," a familiar voice was in her ear and the tall Gryffindor was bringing her to a stop, concern on his face. Whatever the look was--sympathy, confusion, sadness--she didn't want to deal with it.  Skye shrugged Trip's hand off with a jerk of her shoulder and kept walking.

"Leave me alone..."  

And he did.  He let her walk because he knew better to mess with her when she was upset.  Normally Jemma would have been the one to go to her eventually, or Skye to her and she would be calmed down, but as Trip had learned, that wasn't going to be happening anymore. He watched his best friend storm off before giving up and checking to make sure Fitz and Jemma would be OK before he returned to the great Hall.

Skye didn't want to be in the common room, she wanted to be alone,  but since most everyone was at dinner it was almost perfect.  She would have to deal with it.  She couldn't go to the attic because Fitz and Jemma might go there to give her some time to recover, so she planted herself in the dark green of the couch, staring blankly out the window into the lake.  The quiet didn't do much for the ringing in her ears though.

The Slytherin common room had been almost empty, except for one boy in the corner. He was silent, apparently going through his own thoughts, until people started trickling back into the room as they finished dinner. Eventually it was full again, Slytherin students were everywhere, working on homework or hanging out. There was one conversation in particular that Skye would have wanted to pay attention to, though.

"Hey man, where did you disappear to?" A boy who had just walked in asked the one who had been in the corner when Skye showed up.

"You're not gonna believe this." He chuckled, standing up to be eye level with his friend. He was saying it quietly, so he wouldn't get caught, but it wasn't going to miss Skye's ears.

"I followed that mudblood. Yeah, the crazy one." He started, the attention from his friend full and absolute as they both smirked knowingly. "I was just messing with her, but she was being a little bitch and kept trying to ignore me. I took out my wand to charm her feet to the ground or something, but she went ballistic. You should have seen it, that girl is a nutcase. She got what was coming to her, if you ask me. Damned muggleborns."

“Hey boys…what are you two talking about?” Skye smiled pleasantly, standing there, a little between them and off to the side as she joined the conversation.  She had slunk up silently, arms crossed and a deceivingly interested smile on her face, before her brow twitched upward and it fell into more of a scowl.  She had heard first, rather than seen the offensive party and with quick eyes and gritting teeth, she had spied them over in the corner.  She had gotten particularly good at hunting while out in the woods…this was just a different sort of woods.

“No, wait…don’t tell me.  Let me _guess_ ,” Her left arm reached out and her hand fell flat against the listening boy’s chest and with a quick shove he was down on the couch, the force of it almost knocking the couch back too.

“You were talking about Jemma,” Skye nodded, brows knit together now in a frown.  Her right hand was grasped firmly around her wand, which was pointed abruptly at the offending Slytherin’s feet, “ _Adher Sempra_.”

He would feel his feet stick in place as he became wobbly, unable to move.  “That was a fun story you told.  Why don’t you tell it to me again…in _minute detail_ ,” She was smiling again, and kept it up, even when she heard rustling behind her from the couch.  Her wand was out and back and pointed at the friend on the couch and she heard him settle down abruptly.  They had probably already gathered the attention of other students, but Skye’s sole focus was on the idiot in front of her who had made a nearly fatal mistake.

The boy definitely knew he had messed up now. From the rumors and the papers and just being a student at the school over the years, he knew that Skye was the _very_ protective girlfriend of the mudblood he'd just harassed, and even if they had broken up like everyone was saying, she was still a werewolf and a talented witch and had a deviant grin on her face. She was someone he didn't want to mess with.

Not doing as she said would probably be worse, so all he could do was exactly what she told him and hope for mercy.

"I... I, uh, left dinner early and followed the mudbl- Simmons. I followed Simmons into the hall and started... asking her questions." He had lost his nerve. Completely and utterly terrified, he continued sputtering out what had happened, avoiding eye contact with Skye.

"She tried to leave but I was still talking to her... So I just got out my wand to use a spell and get her to stay. I wasn't going to hurt her, I swear! She just went nuts when I pointed at her. She's crazy! I didn't do anything!" He started defending himself, but that was obviously the wrong move.

The charm on his feet broke just as Skye's hands grabbed him firmly around the collar and shoved him back against the wall, into one of the windows that looked out into the green of the lake.

"She is _not crazy_!!"  Skye shouted and pulled him away, only to slam him back against the window.  They were enchanted, she knew, she was just as surprised as he was when it cracked behind his head.  She used it to her advantage.

"What kind of questions did you ask her, you despicable dimwitted pixie?!"  

They definitely had the attention of the entire common room now, and no one moved, not even an inch.

"Did you ask her what cruciatus felt like?  Because really if you're wondering, I'm not one to leave a fellow Slytherin hanging," the grin on her face was wicked and he would feel the small rounded point of a wand at his temple, "I'd be more than happy to show you. What. It. FEELS. LIKE."  She shoved it a little more, watching him wince and shake his head.  When he reached to try and defend himself by pushing her off, his hands in her face, she bit him.  She bit his hand hard enough to draw blood and he shrieked.

"Is that what she sounded like?!! Is that what you made her do?! Not Interested in feeling an Unforgivable!? I thought so you pathetic pure breed.  Your blood tastes like rotting fish, _that's_ how important I think it is."  
She held him higher then, hardly breaking a sweat as he continued to wail.  His feet were off the ground, dangling in front of her.

"I am the daughter of the baddest dark wizard since _The_ Dark Wizard.  You are going to. Listen. To. _ME_!" She emphasized, waiting for a nod.  When she received one she continued, "If you pull your wand on Jemma again, I will break it in half." She dropped him then and watched him squirm on the floor.  The Prefect didn't even move.  No one did.

"And then I will break your arm in half. And then if necessary I will break your spine in half. And I promise you. Even Mrs. Weaver won't be able to repair that _shit_!" She kicked him for emphasis and then turned around, temper flaring when she noticed everyone watching.  They wanted a show, they would get one.  
            Skye was up on the center table in a matter of seconds, "If you talk about Jemma, bother Jemma, or mess with Jemma, I will rip your ears off.  With.  My.  TEETH.  And don't think that I won't know if you do.  I will know.  If any of you, or anyone in this house, or any of your friends, or _anyone_ do _anything_ , I will come for you.  Relentlessly.  Like my father went after her. So.  It is in your best interest to leave Jemma Simmons the fuck alone.  Is that one hundred and ten percent clear?!"  She watched with a growing satisfaction as everyone in the common room either nodded, too afraid and shaken to speak, or mumbled a quick yes.  
            "Good," she shifted her weight, glaring down at all of them.  She had all of their attention.  She could have whatever she wanted.  
            "And I want back on the Quidditch Team.  Not some side liner shit.  I want my position back.  Understood, Slytherin House?  Daisy Johnson is in charge."

 


	12. Incaluerint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing the end but there is still plenty to go! ;)

When Jemma walked into class, Fitz at her side, it happened again. Everyone had been having their own conversations before the professor walked in and class began, but the moment a student spotted her at the door, the room fell silent. Not a single person said a word. While it was strange, Jemma couldn't say she didn't like it. It was better than constantly hearing her name and Cal's name and Skye's name whenever she walked by, and the quiet felt less stressful. It had been a sensory overload when she'd first come back, having spent time recovering in the quiet of the isolated Johnson home, so she enjoyed every moment of silence she could get.

"Seriously, what is happening?" Jemma whispered quietly to Fitz as they sat down. This had been happening all day, all of her classes were quiet and whenever she walked by in the hall people stopped talking and averted their eyes.

"I dunno, but I heard something this morning in the common room before you got up. Something about Skye getting detention for attacking a student and threatening people." Fitz said. He said it casually, like he hadn't actually heard the whole story already. Everyone was afraid to talk to Jemma for fear of pissing off Skye if they said the wrong thing.

"Oh." Jemma said quietly, looking down at her desk. She still felt the urge to roll her eyes at Skye for getting detention again, but she realized that she and Skye didn't share that kind of casual relationship and they almost didn't know each other as well. The fact that Skye had attacked a student...it was bad. Jemma knew Skye had a temper, but if she went that far when it wasn't even close to the full moon, it was because she was being reckless. It meant Skye didn't care about what happened anymore and it upset her to realize how badly Skye was doing. She had to keep reminding herself that it was Skye who broke up with her, if she wanted to get back together she would have come to her. Skye probably hated her, Jemma never let her in and talked about everything that had happened, and she'd sort of been a jerk.

It took a while, but with this new information Jemma realized that Skye acted to protect her. Skye didn't think things through, she just did what she thought would be best for Jemma. She hadn't considered what might happen in the future, she'd only prevented Jemma from being upset in the present.   
That had been what she'd been trying to do, and even if she was going about things the wrong way, she had the right intentions. And Jemma had yelled at her and ignored her and had probably finally pushed her too far, tested her patience too much. If she had only been willing to explain to Skye how hard it was for her to get everything straight in her head, Skye could have understood her better. To this day she and Skye had never talked about what happened, and Jemma assumed the walls she put up had caused this.

Without realizing Jemma spent the whole class daydreaming and stared down at her blank parchment in horror, she hadn't taken any notes. She only made it to a fraction of her classes everyday and she couldn't even focus on the ones she did attend. Throwing herself back into school may not have been the best recovery plan, but it had been her only one.

"Don't worry, you can borrow mine." Fitz told her, understanding the problem. Jemma nodded and they left class, heading to the great hall to grab lunch. Everyone was silent on the way there, even as they grabbed a few sandwiches and left, preferring not to be around so many people. They ate in the common room instead of outside in the courtyard, since it was cold and snowy, as the holidays were almost upon them. Jemma wasn't sure what she was going to be doing and it made her incredibly sad. Usually she went home with Skye, or Skye came home with her. But she couldn't go to Skye's and didn't want to see her parents, so it looked like she would be alone this year, since she didn't want to burden Fitz's family with trying to include her.

It would be Jemma's first Christmas without family. Even when she hadn't gone home to her parents she'd still considered Skye family, and Jiaying honestly felt like more of a mother than her own biological parent. Just thinking about never seeing her again as well as Skye made tears start to well up in Jemma's eyes.

"Are you alright?" Fitz asked as they walked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just fine." Jemma nodded, continuing as if she didn't feel like she was dying inside.

__________

“C’mon, lil’momma, you need a break,” Trip pulled up a chair to the table the Ravenclaw had taken towards the back of the library to study for midterms.  Following his voice, a chocolate frog box was plopped right down next to Jemma as the Gryffindor took his seat and grinned.

“At least have a snack,” he pointed towards the chocolate candy and pulled out his own box of Every Flavor Beans from his pocket.  He had brought his own books to do some studying, but he had been towards the front of the library when he had seen Fitz leave for class.  He had figured Jemma might not want to be left alone alone, even in the back of the library and with everyone ignoring her and keeping quiet.  Whatever his best friend had done, she had done a fine job.  He had heard five different versions already, each from a different house and the one true story from his friend herself.

She still had detention, and they gave it to her in the Forbidden Forest, which seemed to suit Skye just fine.  She was getting distant from him though, and he figured it had to do something with her new ‘bad’ reputation.  She was pushing a lot of people away and Trip didn’t think it was healthy for her…or for Jemma.  He had seen rough patches before, but this was certainly different and much more extreme.  He had a mind to fix it too.

“I have an idea.  Why don’t you and Fitz come with me to the quidditch game tomorrow?  It’s the last one before winter break and Gryffindor has been on a role, so it’ll be a good one.  Besides, you’re the only one who knows that good self-warming spell.  I’m likely to set myself and the entire stand on fire,” He laughed and winked, knowing that would get Jemma to at least chuckle some too.  He had done it before, trying to keep them warm a couple years ago before he had learned to just let the smart one handle it.  Pranks were his specialty, not practicality.

Jemma looked up as Trip spoke, a small smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. She found herself actually considering his offer, it had been a long time since she'd done something just for fun. Even with Fitz, it was like he was solely focused on protecting her, and while Jemma appreciated that, it bothered her that she didn't feel like much of a person anymore. Fitz made her feel like an object, or at least a child that needed to be taken care of, but Trip treated her like normal. He acted as if nothing had changed, and it was nice to feel like she was still an actual human being.

Jemma sighed and closed her book, which had actually been right side up for once. She'd been trying to relearn how to read the right way, and it was a slow, difficult process. There had been one point a few days ago where she'd given up and skipped class all day, too frustrated to even try. Trip was right, she needed a break.

"I think I'd like that." Jemma smiled, just a little bit, but more than she had so far. Her hands stayed on her books, not moving to the chocolate frog. They reminded her too much of times spent with Skye, and although quidditch did as well, it was also something she could share with Trip. She also felt compelled to accept just because Gryffindor was playing Slytherin. Sure, she and Skye weren't together... but it was such a habit to go watch Skye play, and Jemma still wanted to watch and be sure Skye didn't get hurt. She still cared.

"How is Skye?" Jemma blurted out before she realized it. She hadn't seen or spoken to the girl once. Fitz kept her pretty isolated from the rest of the student body, and no one had been apt to talk to her for days, so she hadn't even heard rumors. Trip would know how she was doing better than everyone else, and Jemma couldn't deny her curiosity. She wondered if she fared better without her, without having to deal with her like she had for over a month. Maybe when Skye told her they were done, she was freeing herself too.

“Awesome.  I’ll make sure to save our regular seats then.  Can you believe some first years tried to scoot their way in there at the start of the year? I had to set them straight,” He winked and sat back in the chair, reaching into his bag and pulling out some licorice wands as well, shoving one into his mouth and setting the other with the chocolate frog, since Jemma didn’t seem inclined to touch it.

“There’s more where that came from too.  Just made the trip to Honeydukes over the weekend.  Fitz seemed pretty put off that they were out of pumpkin pasties.  Or at least I told him they were.  You don’t tell him, but I accidently ate them all on the walk back!”  There was another laugh, and he knew that that too would make Jemma smile some more.  He knew she needed it.

As far as Skye went, he was glad that Jemma had asked.  She deserved to know what was going on anyway and to be honest, he was a little concerned himself.  “Well, I don’t know if you heard, but she got into a bit of a skirmish with another Slytherin.  She said, she overheard the boy saying he had played a prank on you.  The way she tells it, she laid him out flat and gave him a good scare.  Nearly bit his thumb off too,” He did chuckle at this, because somehow that seemed just like her.  “Boy looked white as a ghost, afraid he was going to start turning into an animal,” He rolled his eyes, “Man obviously doesn’t pay attention in DADA class.  Anyway, I digress…she got detention and she’s skipping a lot of her classes…honestly, lil’momma, I know its probably not what you want to hear, but she’s not doing so great.  You know my girl’s got a tough front but she’s been steering clear of me too.  She’s being more of the other kind of Slytherin nowadays.  The ones you hear rumors about when you’re a first year, not the ones you learn about later…Anyway,” He sighed with a smile on his face before scooping his books into his bag and sliding the chair in.

“The game starts at eleven, so you and Fitz be sure to eat before hand.  I’ll meet you in the normal spot.  Dress warm!!  They’re calling for snow,” He pat Jemma gently on the shoulder then headed off after a wave to go and get ready for his own class.

Jemma waved at her friend as he left, mumbling something about her telling Fitz, before she looked back at the chocolate frog and the licorice wand on the table. It was hard to understand. Jemma had always been able to understand what Skye was thinking, but she was so utterly and completely lost now. They'd both changed since everything had happened, Jemma just wasn't able to figure it out anymore. She didn't understand how Skye could be doing so poorly when she'd been the one to end things. She'd seemed more than angry at Jemma before they came back to school, and her running off didn't assure her that she wanted to be with her, so Jemma didn't know why Skye was taking it so harshly. Clearly she still cared, or she wouldn't have attacked that other Slytherin like Trip said, but all of her actions were unpredictable and didn't make any sense.

Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, Jemma started packing up her books. It was over, Skye had said so herself, so Jemma didn't know why she was still obsessing over it so much. Once everything was back in her bag, she stood up and stared at the candy on the table. She didn't feel like eating it, but she respected the library too much to just leave food lying around, so she scooped it up and dropped it in the trashcan on the way out.

 

____________

 

"It's too cold, there are too many people, and I don't know why you'd want to see Skye play." Fitz grumbled, making his scarf even more snug around his neck as he squirmed on the bench, surrounded by other students. It had gone silent when he and Jemma had first arrived, everyone had stared at them for a moment before it seemed like they all looked away at once, not even wanting to be involved with them at all.

Jemma rolled her eyes at Fitz. It was almost like he was stunting her recovery, unlike Trip, who somehow managed to make her feel better with one invitation. He was bitter, that was for sure, and Jemma knew he blamed Skye for everything that had happened. He didn't want to see Jemma with her, and Jemma supposed she could see how he would feel that way, but she still didn't want him acting so negatively when she just wanted to have a little fun.

"Fitz, you're fine." Jemma raised her eyebrows and slipped a wand from her robes, pointing it directly at his chest. " _Incaluerint._ " She said. He would feel himself suddenly warm up, and Jemma did the same for both Trip and herself before putting away the wand. She'd gotten a new one a while back, but she hadn't started carrying it around until after she'd been harassed by the Slytherin. She figured it would be for self defense, if nothing else.

Fitz gaped at her, he was clearly shocked by what had just happened, but he didn't say anything. He glanced at Trip, wondering what he'd done, and the Gryffindor had a smug smile on his face as he watched them.

“Thanks, Jemma.  I feel warmer than ever.  I sure missed this,” He said, keeping that smug grin on his face.  He rubbed his mittens together before shoving them in his pockets as the headmaster in the other tall stand tower took his seat.  The snow had let up for the time being, but the wind hadn’t and Trip was truly grateful for Jemma’s spell and the mass of warm bodies around them.

The announcer started, introducing the current leading house of Gryffindor, for whom Trip cheered very loudly, mitts around his mouth like a megaphone.  They had the loudest cheer by far and it seemed apt that no one was going to be rooting for Slytherin today except for Slytherin.  Trip was glad just to be watching with his friends.  Once upon a time, last year in fact, he had been the seeker for Gryffindor, but practice was taking up too much time for him this year and he had to drop the team to keep up with his classes.  Watching gave a different adrenaline rush from playing though and he found he didn’t mind much having traded one for the other.

“Our new seeker has been on point this season.  You missed the last game, but she stood on her broom, _no hands_ —swear to god—and caught it.  Snatched it right out of the air from the Hufflepuff seeker,” He nodded with a big grin on his face, nudging Jemma lightly to get her excited and in the mood.

Once the Gryffindor team had come out and taken up position by their hoops, the announcer called out the Slytherin team, introducing them and their score for the season so far before going on to the players.  The Slytherin team had always shown off while coming out, every team did, but something about a certain beater pair doing a one armed handstand around the hoops before settling back got the crowd a little louder than normal.

“Damn, my girl might be a little outta whack but her moves are still on point,” Trip noticed, nodding after having given a little shout of his own despite some glances from his housemates.

Jemma was stuck between averting her eyes and blatantly staring at Skye. It was almost weird to see her back on the pitch, it had been so long. The Triwizard Tournament had canceled quidditch for the year, then they'd been caught up in summer, and after that everything had happened. It had been over a year since Jemma had seen Skye play, and even though they weren't together anymore, it was nice to see Skye where she belonged. She looked happy, at least at the moment.

Still, even quidditch wasn't the same. Even on the pitch the other students avoided her like the plague. She didn't even need to knock many bludgers around, all she had to do was fly near a player and they would back off; nobody wanted to piss Skye off or get in her way. There were a select few who tried, the bravest of the Gryffindors, but Skye knocked them on their asses with a single bludger.

"So much for Gryffindor being on a roll." Jemma muttered to Trip, who had become significantly less sure of his house's victory the more everyone gave in to Skye. There were already two players down, a chaser and a beater, and the rest weren't capable of winning.

At the end of the game, the Gryffindor seeker almost managed to catch the snitch, but Skye cut her off so quickly that she nearly crashed into the stands, and the Slytherin seeker snatched the golden ball, winning the game.

Jemma used to like watching Skye play. It had been an illusion at the beginning of the game to think this would be some piece of normal. Skye was different without Jemma, and everyone knew it. She was so filled with rage and acting out so much that it made Jemma wonder if Skye's eyes were their proper color.

“I want to go back to the common room now.” Jemma said quietly, not looking up as the end of game madness continued around them. Jemma wouldn’t look at Skye, she couldn’t. It was like Skye didn’t exist anymore; there was only Daisy, and that killed Jemma inside.

“Alright Lil’mama.  Thanks for coming and giving Gryffindor some support,” Trip Pat her on the shoulder lightly with a sad smile and looked over to Fitz, who he was sure would get Jemma back safely.  He hated she hadn't really enjoyed the game.  He had thought maybe getting her to do something she used to enjoy would get her a little closer to talking to Skye, or Daisy, whoever she was now.  

His best friend was slowly spiraling down without the Ravenclaw and Trip didn't like what he was seeing anymore.  Those two were supposed to be together and he had seen them come out of rough patches before.  He knew some shit had gone down, but he also knew that they were both strong and even if they weren't talking, they cared about each other.  He just needed them to talk.  The wheels in his head slowly began to turn with a plan as he waved goodbye to his two friends and turned to look back at the leftover carnage of the quidditch match.


	13. Lumos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it folks. It's been a wild ride, but don't worry, just enjoy ;)

Jemma pulled her robes even tighter around herself, sniffling in the cold and trudging through the snow down to the quidditch pitch. She was headed to the ground underneath the bleachers, where for some unknown reason she was going to meet Trip. For anyone else, a request to meet in the middle of the night over the holiday in the snow would be strange, but she was used to Trip's shenanigans and she had nowhere else to be now that everyone was gone for break.

Jemma had decided to stay at school this year, since there would be no more vacations at Skye's house and she was still at odds with her parents, who continued to send her letters that Jemma only threw into the fireplace in the common room, unopened.

When Jemma arrived where Trip had told her to meet, she groaned at the empty space. Of course he was late. She found a wooden plank she could sit on until he got there. She mumbled a quick warming spell and huddled into her robes under the bleachers, waiting for him to show up.

Winter break wasn't feeling quite like it should.  With Jiaying away for the Holidays, Skye wasn't going home and since she and Jemma weren't together anymore she wasn't going to the Simmons's residence either.  Somehow staying at school for winter break felt strange. It was only a year ago now that Skye had asked Jemma to the Yule ball and the snow and chilly weather was bringing back memories that only upset her.

Trip had apparently noticed this and had offered to stay with Skye at Hogwarts over break and keep her occupied.  Putting on her tough shit persona all the time for everyone was getting exhausting and she was glad of a night prank with Trip like they used to do.

He said they were going to build snowmen and enchant them not to melt and then animate them and set them loose inside the school to cover everything and everyone in snow.  It was an amusing idea and the Slytherin had nothing better to do anyway. Meeting under the bleachers at the quidditch pitch was a good location not to get caught before they finished their snowmen enchanting, since it was normally where Skye had been hanging out during the warmer part of the month anyway.  She was much too afraid to even consider going to the attic in the library. She didn't want to upset Jemma and be in that space if she was using it.

Skye moved down through the entrance, pulling her coat up a little tighter around her, although she knew her new werewolf blood kept her much warmer than the other students.  Her time of the month was coming and she had noticed her temper getting more and more out of hand the closer it got. It would be her first run through the woods at Hogwarts and honestly, without Jemma to reassure her, she was getting nervous about it.  
"Hey Trip, are you here?  I'm ready to get my snowman prank o-" Skye had lit her wand but stopped abruptly as it illuminated the small space revealed a very familiar face, but not the one she had been looking for. 

"Jemma..." The Slytherin stood there for a moment, frozen like the men she had been expecting to create with Trip, unsure of what to say or how to say it or if she should just go.  She hadn't seen her since coming back to school. Skye honestly didn't think she looked much better. Fitz should have been doing a better job of keeping her up and healthy.

"S-sorry...I was...uhm...Trip is...he said to meet him here.  I should just go," Skye was already backing up, not wanting to upset her girlfriend, no, her ex girlfriend.  She was the reason Jemma had gotten into such a mess and Fitz had made sure to keep her away. It would be best if she left.  Although, Skye realized now what a sneaky bastard Trip could be. He had probably done this on purpose.

Jemma's eyes widened when she saw Skye approach, and it didn't take her long to figure out that this was a plot belonging to Trip, but somehow she couldn't be mad at him. She'd been wanting to talk to Skye, but after everything that had happened it felt like they were magnets, but the opposite of attracting. Like the kind that pushed away if they were near each other on their own. But if an external force pushed on them, they could be brought together. 

"Skye...wait." Jemma stood up and shuffled a few steps closer, but not too close, in case Skye didn't want her to. "Um. Daisy. Sorry. I've heard things, but I don't know what you-" Jemma stopped and sighed, wondering when things had gotten this difficult between them. When she was kidnapped and tortured into insanity, that was when.   
"Just stay. Please." Jemma swallowed, not sure what to say. Even if it was meant to be over, and that this was supposed to be it, they had ended things so badly and Jemma didn't want to be haunted by the thought that she could have done something.

"Skye's fine..." The brunette breathed, the heat of her words visible in the cold night air.  "I just did that to scare everyone. It worked," she crossed her arms, clearly uneasy but she stayed at Jemma's bidding.  It was still hard to say no to her, even now. She felt uncomfortable...and it was such a strange and alien feeling to have in the Ravenclaw 's presence.  She could hardly believe it had come down to this.

"Have...have people uhm...been leaving you alone?  I asked them too..." she shuffled on her toes awkwardly, standing there, bright light of her wand lowered in the dark.  She didn't want to make it look like she would do something. She knew Jemma was probably still sensitive at having wands in her direction.

"No one has bothered me since you've come back." Jemma nodded. Her eyes kept shifting to the ground against her will. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with her when she felt so guilty. "Thank you." She remembered to add. She wasn't sure why Skye was still looking out for her when she didn't seem to want to be with her any more. 

Although, thinking back, Skye had thought Jemma was done with her. The way she had acted, it seemed like maybe it was herself who seemed like she didn't want them to be together. Despite all of this, Jemma was still hesitant to tell Skye that she still loved her, that she didn't care about what had happened anymore. She didn't care that Skye had lied to her because now she understood just how hard it had been to take care of her and keep her from cracking in her fragile mental state. 

"Back at your house, I didn't- I mean I wasn't trying to-" Jemma couldn't find the words. "Im not-" she sighed, clasping her hands in front of her and wringing them out, both to get rid of the numbness and to give her something to do besides stand there awkwardly. "I was tired of me." That was the best Jemma could manage to say it.

Skye didn't know what Jemma was trying to say.  Honestly there was a pang in the back of her mind, a little ping that went off like a beacon that suggested maybe Jemma was talking about them, as a couple.  That seemed silly though. Skye knew she had done too much. She had lied and hid things. This whole crazy year was all her fault. How could Jemma forgive her for all of that?  Skye didn't see how.  
"You uh, you shouldn't be.  You should be patient with yourself...like my mom said.  You'll get...back to your old self in no time..." The brunette choked out.  Jemma would be back to normal soon enough with the added bonus of Skye not being around to fuck things over for her.

"No, I meant..." Jemma paused and realized with quite a bit of dismay that her eyes were watering and in danger of flooding over. Skye wasn't understanding her and Jemma had to find a way to make her. She just had to hope that Skye wanted what she wanted. 

"When we were fighting, you thought I meant I was tired of you." Jemma started. She had to go back and explain, so she could be absolutely certain that Skye had wanted them to break up before she gave up on trying to talk to her. But if she hadn't and it was just her thought that Jemma was finished with them that was keeping her from trying to get back together, then Jemma needed to know. 

"I wasn't tired of you. I was upset that you lied to me, but I understand now. I was... I was tired of being the way I was...the way I am. I wanted things to be clear so we could talk." Now that Jemma had started, she couldn't stop. She was too deep into her explanation and there was no stopping the pleading tone in her voice and the tears that spilled out onto her cheeks. 

"Everything was foggy, and the potion your mother made just put a stopper on it, it was like everything was mute silence except for the fact that you had lied. And the day we fought was the first day that I hadn't taken the potion. It all came rushing back and I couldn't stop it or reason with myself, and you were there to take it out on. I didn't mean to do that and I'm sorry. You were trying to help me and I was confused and I'm sorry." She was crying now, and she had to wipe away the tears with her sleeve before they froze on her face. She stared at Skye, waiting for some kind of reaction. She had laid it all out and she was scared for Skye's reaction.

"I...I didn't mean to lie," Skye blurted, watching as Jemma fell apart in front of her.  The urge to move over to her and hold her was strong, but she somehow managed to keep her place a while longer.

"You were just doing so well, I-" she cut herself off and sniffled, trying to keep her own tears back, though it could have just been from the cold.  "I didn't want you to see what your parents thought until you were better...I was supposed to have more time to prepare you...I didn't think the ministry would actually come so quickly."  Jemma was explaining so it only felt right for her to explain her own actions, since it led to this whole ordeal.

"I was only saying what I thought you wanted," Jemma would hear Skye's teeth grind over the sound of the wind from outside, "so you wouldn't have to say it. So that wouldn't be on you...I didn't..." The Slytherin turned her head away, not wanting to look at Jemma because if she did she really would start crying.  "I didn't want that...this, for us. Just the way you said it...I couldn't let you have that responsibility on you too. We all just wanted you to get better and I thought I was a distraction...a hindrance..."

"Skye," Jemma breathed, shocked to hear the story from her point of view. The lie she understood, she understood how Skye had been trying to help her and protect her from her parents. What she couldn't understand was how Skye thought she was doing her harm. How she thought Jemma wanted them to break up.  
"It was because of you that I was getting better at all." Jemma took another step closer until they were close enough for them to touch if she just leaned in...   
"I don't want us apart. I didn't want you to have to take care of me...but I do need you. I love you." Jemma was near sobbing, but she was afraid to throw herself at Skye and hug her like she really wanted.

A heavy weight had been lifted up off of her chest and shoulders and suddenly Skye took a great intake of breath before her tough Slytherin skin she had put on for everyone else shattered and she burst into tears.  "I d-don’t want us apart either!!" Her arms were around Jemma in a second and although she was trying to contain herself, loud sobs echoed in the shorter girl's ears as Skye held onto her for dear life.

She had been so sure Jemma was done with her, that she had laid the final straw that broke everything by lying to her when she had only been trying to protect her.  She had done everything wrong and she felt so sick that she had messed it all up even worse.  
"I'm so s-sorry, Jems...I-I love y-you too!  I'm so sorry!!" She had dropped her wand and the soft glow of its light was starting to fade without her focus but she was too relieved to care.

Jemma immediately clung to Skye, joining in the sobbing and pressing her face into Skye's shoulder and her body shook as she cried, tightening her hold on her every second. It was the first time they'd hugged since summer vacation, and Jemma couldn't get enough. She cried into Skye's clothes and let all of her emotions come pouring out. Her fear, sadness, anxiety, and now happiness and relief.   
"I missed you so much." She whispered, nuzzling even closer. She moved her hands around Skye's back and onto her shoulders, pulling her as close as possible. She didn't think she'd ever be able to let go.

"I missed you too," Skye breathed through her loud hiccup-like crying and she clung as tight as her arms would let her onto Jemma.  Like the other girl, she didn't have any plans to let go anytime soon.

"I'm so sorry..." she kept repeating it, saying it whenever she had an extra breath when she wasn't crying.  Skye didn't think she could ever tell Jemma truly, just how sorry she was for this entire year. She still felt like it was all her fault, like she had let her down allowing all of this to happen even though she knew the circumstances were extraordinary.

Skye held her like that until her eyes dried up due to the chill and even her warm wolf blood couldn't keep her warm anymore. She didn't want to let go, but she could hear both Jemma's teeth and her own now as they chattered against the cold.  Against her will, but with better judgement on her side, Skye pulled away just a little bit to tell Jemma they should go inside, but her gaze caught Jemma's eyes I and it slowly slid down to her lips, parted as her teeth shook. She hadn't kissed her in so long Skye didn't know if she should, or if Jemma was well enough to be at that point yet anyway.  
"We should...I should get you inside before you freeze to death..."

Jemma nodded and wiped her face one last time. Her loud exhale after being released was visible as a foggy mist in the night air. She was already feeling so much better just being in Skye's presence. She stared up at Skye's face, knowing they should go inside because of the chill but not quite ready to move and leave this special moment. The year had been horrible and probably would always remain the worst year of her life, but she had to enjoy this moment, because she knew it was the moment where it was all going to turn around. 

Jemma let her hand rest on Skye's cheek, and the warmth of her face made her shiver. She wanted to pull her closer and kiss her until the end of time, but she settled for a gentle, slow kiss, pushing her fingers back into Skye's hair and pulling her closer, tentatively letting their lips touch before she gained more confidence and put a little more force behind it, letting her free hand settle onto Skye's waist.

The feeling of Jemma's lips on hers, the girls hand tangled in her hair, the warmth of her all felt strange to Skye and the Slytherin knew she would do everything within her power to let it never feel so foreign again.  She pressed back gently, both hands on Jemma's cheeks and holding her as firmly as she dared, too afraid to break her even though she wanted her close. Skye could feel the chill in them and she only hoped she was helping Jemma stay a little warmer.  
The brunette let it drag on as long as she could before she pulled away, and thought she wanted more, she knew they needed to get inside.  "Come on Jems. You're going to freeze. I need to get you inside..."

When they finally parted, Jemma took a deep inhale, and it was like she finally realized how cold she was when she filled her lungs with the icy air.

"You're right." She sighed. They were separated, but Jemma still held onto the wolf girl's clothes at her waist, not willing to ever let them drift apart again. "But I don't want to go back to the common rooms just yet." She added. Her eyes searched Skye's face before she continued. "The attic is still our place. I never went there with Fitz or anyone else." She promised, and it was the truth. She hadn't been there since she'd come back to school, because the attic was a sacred place. She hadn't wanted to disturb it.

Jemma didn't want to suggest anything by using the attic, but she was positive that Skye knew where her limits were for now. She wasn't sure when they would be back to how they were, but it was a start.

"Then to the attic we will go," Skye nodded with a small smile on her lips and kept a tight hold of Jemma so that the girl would know she didn't have any plans to let go anytime soon.  Skye knew they weren't allowed to apparate on campus, and so it was a long chilly walk back to the courtyard, but Skye lent Jemma her coat to keep her extra warm.  
The brunette was quite chilly by the time they got inside, her nose and cheeks flushed from the bite of the wind, but the fires from the torches started to warm her well enough. 

"I wonder if everything is still there...your books...our blankets, the couch...I hope no one found it while..." Skye swallowed hard and cleared her throat, "Well I hope no one found it." She reiterated.  
It didn't take long to sneak into the library, as it was well after curfew, and Skye made sure to keep an ear out for Filtch, and she could smell Ms Norris a mile away.  They came to the hidden door and Skye finally let go of her, "Would you do the honors?"

"Ok." Jemma said hesitantly, grabbing for her wand. She held it out in front of her, but her hand was shaking slightly, and not from the cold. She had performed the warming spell at the match, but she had practiced a hundred times in the common room that afternoon beforehand. Now, she stared at her wand, and she knew she needed to get over the irrational fear. It wasn't the wands that did terrible things, but the wizards and witches behind them. It was just her and Skye now.   
Jemma grabbed for Skye's hand with her free one and said the spell quietly. The door appeared, and Jemma tucked her wand back in her robes before reaching out for the ladder as it unfolded.

She climbed up very slowly, letting the anticipation of seeing what she felt was her home away from home for the first time in a long time. There was a twinge of anxiety as she wondered if everything would still be there or if anybody else had found it. She really just wanted to lay down on the couch with Skye and go to sleep.

When she peered over the top, her chest fell as she exhaled loudly and climbed the rest of the way up, shuffling and then standing, grabbing Skye's hand to help pull her up even though she knew the wolf girl didn't exactly need extra help.

When she turned around, really looked, and breathed in the old smell of the place, Jemma couldn't help it. Her entire body began quivering as she tried to hold it back, but she just couldn't and her replenished stock of tears came pouring out of her eyes and down her cheeks. She was sobbing again even though she wasn't  _sad_ sad, she was just upset. She was happy and overwhelmed all at once and she didn't know how to control herself.

Skye climbed the ladder quickly, coming up after Jemma and just as mesmerized by the old smell of the room.  Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust, undisturbed, and kept just the way they had left it before leaving back for home sixth year.  It had been nearly that long since they had been in here...a year. It felt like an eternity.

The brunette was jolted from her memory, her hearing focusing in on sobs.  Skye quickly turned to Jemma and found her crying again. Very slowly she came closer and wrapped her arms around her and held her close, but not tight enough Jemma couldn't get out if she wanted.  

“Hey...hey it's alright.  Everything is over and done.  You've got me. I'm not going anywhere…” she said softly, letting one of her hands rest on the back of Jemma’s head and rub lightly to soothe her.   She took a glance around the old room again and smiled, “All of our things are here. No one found it. Needs some cleaning though…”

"I've missed this." Jemma clung to Skye and inhaled deeply, acknowledging her scent along with the musty smell of the attic. It was like for the first time in eternity she had finally come home.

“Me too,” Skye whispered, afraid if she spoke louder the moment would somehow dissipate, like smoke through her fingers.  She held Jemma there for a while. Skye felt it was something that they both needed. It felt strange and overwhelmingly familiar all at once and it was odd.  The Slytherin wasn’t sure if things would, or even could ever be the same between the two of them again. So much had happened.

What felt like hours was in reality only a few minutes, but Skye felt it was time to pull away.  Jemma had started to sway some, and the brunette knew the both of them were likely very tired. “We should get some sleep,” Skye cleared her throat and backed away fully.  She made sure there was enough space between her and Jemma before she pulled out her wand. She gave it a swish or two with some non-verbal magic and the dust in the room spun and flew in streams to the tip of her wand and vanished until the entire attic was just as clean as ever.

“And to think your room is usually messy when you know those kinds of spells.” Jemma teased, but her smile fell off her face imagining Skye’s room right now, with none of her things in it, bookshelves empty. She plopped down on the now dustless couch and leaned back into the cushions, looking up at Skye nervously and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

Skye rolled her eyes but there was a smile on her face.  Jemma had a point about her room. It was practically always a mess despite knowing spells that were useful.  Especially now...with all of Jemma's things missing and the mess she had turned it into after tearing the room apart herself. The smile faltered some before she looked down at Jemma on the couch and then her smile really did leave.

“Are you alright?” It was a stupid question and Skye regretted it the second she asked it.  How could she be alright after everything? Skye wasn't even sure she was alright. She could see the worry on Jemma's face though and she just wanted to make it better, if she could.

Jemma sighed and slumped a bit in the couch, relaxing her muscles and just trying to let off some of the pressurized steam that seemed to always be sitting just under the surface.

“I’m exhausted.” Jemma finally admitted. It sounded a bit like a whimper and even if she was ashamed of it a single tear slid down her cheek. She blinked, clearing her eyes, swallowed, and managed to look back up at Skye like she hadn’t said anything at all and pat the couch next to her so Skye would come sit.

Skye nodded in recognition, although she wasn't sure if she was allowed to be tired herself.  Jemma had been through so much more than Skye could compare too. It didn't seem fair to admit she was exhausted as well so she settled for an apology.

“I'm sorry, Jemma…” the words were loaded with the weight of everything that had happened between them.  She didn't just mean she was sorry Jemma was exhausted, although she was. Skye took her seat next to Jemma on the couch, not sitting too close since she didn't want to push any boundaries.  The brunette wasn't sure where the line was yet, but they would figure it out, she had no doubt.

“We both did stupid things,” Jemma sighed, “that is no mystery.” She continued. There were a lot of things that had gone wrong and in the grand scheme of things, mistakes on their own parts had had little to do with how everything had turned out. They’d been victims of circumstance, but mostly victims of other people’s actions, specifically Cal’s. They needed to forgive each other for the mistakes that had been made and look to the future.

“This is our last year here.” Jemma made the observation. The professors were being quite helpful in catching them up in as short a time as possible so they didn’t have to repeat their final year, and Jemma wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. She could hardly even remember any normal aspirations she’d had before this. A defense against the dark arts professor would be suiting. She was sure Skye would want to play quidditch.

It was a heavy fact Skye had tried to put off absorbing, but now that Jemma said it, and the fact that it was literally the middle of the school year, Skye had to let it sink in.  "Yeah..." She breathed it out like a whisper and her fists closed uncomfortably at the realization. In a few months they would be leaving Hogwarts for good. Everything about them that had been normal for the last seven years was coming to an end, aided ever swifter by the TriWizard Tournament and by her own father.  What would happen to them? How could they possibly cope?

"What are we going to do?" It slipped out before Skye could stop it.  Her brain had uttered the words and her mouth had followed suit shortly after, something that had more often than not gotten her into trouble.  She looked over at Jemma and was still very much afraid. Starting a real life, even after everything that had happened was terrifying. How could Jemma just go make potions for a living?  How could she still even dream of playing professional quidditch when her condition was basically a steroid three-fourths of the time and a depressant the rest?  
"It feels like school ended last year...and this year is just..." She wasn't sure how to word it.

“A test.” Jemma finished for Skye. “It was a test of our strengths, and I’d say we’ve passed it.” She assured her. If they could survive through the ordeals of this year then certainly they could find a way to cope with life.

“Maybe I can approach Coulson about any positions here.” Jemma suggested. They didn’t have anywhere to go yet, but they were going to have to start building a life somewhere.

“One hell of a test…” Skye mumbled but nodded at the same time. Jemma’s answer had been accurate enough.  The year had felt like one awful test after another. Worse than the tournament, and that had been pretty bad in Skye's opinion.  Her girlfriend was right though, they had passed. Maybe not with flying colors but it was enough to have gotten them here. Wherever here was Skye still wasn't exactly sure, but she was eager to start figuring it out.  

“I don't know what I'll do...I'm not sure how any professional team will feel about having a werewolf among them.  Quidditch isn't exactly a gentle game where no one gets hurt, and that seems to be something I've gotten a little too good at recently.”

“Oh, Skye,” Jemma sighed and took Skye’s hand with her own. She knew this year had been hard on both of them in different ways, but they were going to come together and work this out. “Maybe Coulson will hire you as a coach until we get things worked out with playing.” She suggested. There had to be a spell or potion somewhere- or that could be created- that would lower Skye’s abilities and level the playing field.

“Seems unlikely,” Skye started, still looking sad as she squeezed Jemma's hands back, “we both know the flying instructor will never quit.  She's been here for ages,” She giggled then and put on a smile. The hawk-eyed woman had been there when Skye and Jemma both had started and would probably still be teaching long after they both died.

“You said you were exhausted earlier, and Trip has had us out late... want to try and sleep?  Like...old times maybe?” Skye was hesitant. There were still boundaries left undrawn and she didn't want to put Jemma in an uncomfortable situation.  They had been apart for several months and even though Skye had been looking out for Jemma, the rumor around school was she had been more than living up to her Slytherin house title.  “I can just sleep in the floor...if that's better?”

“Oh, no, of course not.” Jemma shook her head. She stretched out on the old couch, laying her head on the pillow and patting the space in between her and the back of the couch with her hand. She hadn’t been properly held in what felt like ages and she wanted her and Skye to not necessarily be back to normal, but be happy, as soon as possible. “Stay with me?”

Skye was hesitant, but she moved gently into the position left for her behind Jemma and laid down.  It wasn’t super warm in the room, so she pulled down the old blanket from the back of it and maneuvered it as best she could over the two of them.  She already felt warmer just being so close to Jemma and now having been out of the wind for a little while, but the blanket helped. Her first moon at school hadn’t come yet, but it was approaching, faster than Skye wanted to admit.  She knew she would get warm, and she knew already that she wanted to keep moving. Quidditch had helped with her energy levels and focusing on class, or what little she did of it now, had helped some more, but ultimately she just felt like an undrainable battery.  She would do her best to stay still tonight though, as restless as her sleep might get.

She still hadn’t answered Jemma’s question though, regardless of whether or not she had gotten in behind her.  They were back together, sort of, and Skye knew the time they had been apart had been hell for her, despite her maybe not showing it.  She honestly never wanted to leave her again, if she ever had at all in the first place.

“Always,” She gently laid one arm over Jemma’s waist, slowly, making sure it was welcome before she let its full weight rest on her.  Skye held her then, content for now, just letting her quiet promise fill the room and lull Jemma to sleep. A thought occurred to her then, one she had looked over despite it being the winter holiday.   _Tomorrow is Christmas_ …

“I love you, Skye.” Jemma murmured and rested her hand on the arm Skye had draped over her waist. The year had been one hell of a ride so far, but it finally felt like things were getting to where they should be and it made Jemma comfortable and content enough to actually fall asleep for the first time in a long time.

“I love you too,” Skye whispered and actually let herself smile.  Jemma didn’t say it often, and she hadn’t heard those words in a long time.  That’s how she knew the Ravenclaw girl meant them, every single time. Maybe they could get back to almost normal.  Skye knew neither of them would ever really be the same, but they could make a new normal, and she looked forward to it.

With Jemma breathing so evenly next to her, combined with the still darkness of the attic, Skye actually found she was tired.  Exhausted, even, despite the approaching moon. Her eyes couldn’t fight it anymore, and slowly, they slid shut and she let sleep take her.  Everything about them was at peace, finally together.

_____

 

Skye’s eyes shot open.  She didn’t know what to do first.  She was sweating. She couldn’t breathe.  Although at peace she had been for most of the night, that wasn’t how she remained in the early hours.  This was more than fitful sleep.

She...remembered things.   _Terrible_ things.  It was a dream, it had to be.  She looked down at her hands to be sure and she shrieked, crawling backwards off the couch in an attempt to get away, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t get away from her own blood soaked hands.

“Jemma?!  Jemma wake up!”

When Skye looked for Jemma, however, she wasn’t there.  She was alone in the attic, standing over the couch, hands dripping, wet with blood, as she gazed with wide eyes upon the stain on the old couch.  Blood continued to ooze from it, out on the floor. It covered everything and Skye kept stepping back to try and avoid it until she felt her back against the wall.  When she turned her head away from the floor, the room spun and the wall she was against was no longer the wall of the attic.

It was hard cement.  The wall of a factory.  The wall of a place Skye never wanted to see again.  She lifted her shoe, a few sticky strings of blood clinging to it as it left a single spot on the floor that wasn’t covered in the thick red liquid.  It still oozed to fill the space, but it was no longer coming from the couch. It was coming from a black wolf...or what was left of one rather. The top half, and what looked like the remainder of the spine was to her left and the pelvis and legs were to her right.  It was an impossible amount of blood and the sight of it made her sick to her stomach.

“Oh g-god…” Her hand was over her mouth, but it wasn’t enough to stop it.  Skye heaved onto the floor, throat burning from the vomit and the effort. The stench of it and the blood made her want to throw up again, but also something else.  The hair on her arms stood on end and it made her mouth water, sickness forgotten. She _wanted_ it.

Skye shook her head, disgusted with herself before she looked towards the wolf one more time, only now it wasn’t a wolf.  It was a man that was now ripped in two, and not just any man.

“ _Oh Daisy, you’ve done so well_ …”

The sound of his voice made her dry heave, previous contents already expelled.   _Oh god, wake up wake up wake up, you’re dreaming!_

“ _Just look what you’ve done to your dear old_ **_dad_ ** _._ ”

Skye whipped her mouth while she shook her head, refusing to believe what she was listening to, what she was seeing.  “N-no, I didn’t--The Aurors-”

“ _Took care of me?  Oh no baby girl, that was you.  My sweet Daisy. Just like her dear old dad.”_

The head of the corpse had twisted around and a sickening smile was on Cal’s face, apart from his wide frightened eyes and a trail of blood down the left side of his mouth and towards the ground.

“Okay, okay, this is  a dream,” Skye’s fingers wound their way through her hair as she stared in horror at the nightmarish scene her dreamscape was playing out for her.  She squeezed her eyes shut, “Wake up, wake up, wake up.”

“ _There is no waking up, Daisy.  You’ve done it now-_ ”

“ _Skye_ !  Wake up,  _lumos_."

Skye’s eyes shot open to darkness before a very small light came into view.  Jemma was holding her wand over her, looking worried.

Skye had pushed her off of the couch during a fit.  Some things just didn’t seem to change.

“Darling, you were having a bad dream.  Are you alright?” She took some of the blanket and wiped off Skye’s forehead which was wet from sweating so much.

Skye couldn’t really catch her breath, still thinking about the atrocities she had committed in her subconscious.  The more she thought about it, the more familiar it felt. She had transformed in that warehouse...she’d dropped the last bottle of wolfsbane potion.  She had let it shatter on the ground. She’d been so angry.

“No…” was all she could really manage as Skye’s eyes widened with realization.

“What’s wrong, Skye?”

She tasted blood in her mouth

 _She would be daddy’s girl just for one night_.

“Jemma, I…”

Jemma situated herself back onto the couch and rubbed Skye’s back gently with one hand, setting her illuminated wand down on the armrest, “It’s alright, Skye.  We’re at school, in the attic.” She knew how Skye felt. She got nightmares too.

“The Aurors didn’t take care of my father.’

“What?  Skye, what are you talking about?  Of course they did, your mother--”

“She lied.”

The Slytherin girl was being ridiculous.  Calvin Johnson was dead. THe Ministry had made sure of it.  He was a danger to everyone and had already escaped Azkaban once and they weren’t going to let him to it a second time, “Skye-”

“I killed him.”

“Skye-”

“I killed my father.  I killed Calvin Johnson.”  _Merry Christmas..._


End file.
